Treasured Memories
by Evil Midget Turtle
Summary: Sora continues on his journey with heavy heart. But can he recover that which he values above all, his most treasured memories, before his heart completely breaks from rampant emotions?Chapter 5 now up!
1. Default Chapter

_Treasured Memories_

_Chapter 1_

A streak of silver gleamed through the dark green, an occasional flash of gold following it. Silent and deadly, the weapon twirled and thrust at the command of a blue-eyed, tousle-haired teen. Again and again, the blade flicked through complicated maneuvers and techniques, and the teen's face remained set and focused. As he spun, an intricate blue pendant flew out on its chain, falling back again to his chest.

"Do you think he's okay?"

Further up on a hill, two companions sat watching the flashes coming from the clearing in one of the many worlds they had seen, home to one of the many Keyholes they had sealed. Donald shook his head slowly in answer.

"No, he said he wanted to be alone."

The two exchanged worried looks, then turned their eyes back to the flashing lights.

Silver-grey eyes watched the teen as well, but these glittered with malice. The crimson figure turned from its orb, smiling evilly. At the snap of its fingers, a large black panther padded up, rubbing its head against an outstretched hand.

"How quaint, Rumor my pet." A cold voice soft as death filled the dark room, a trace of amusement flecking through.

"There stands the Keyblade Master, alone with heavy heart. The boy is alive through no fault of his own, only the idiocy of those robed nitwits in their run-down castle. The fools had no idea how to break a heart."

The pale white hand stroked the panther's head, lingering on the velvety ears.

"They played with his memories, twisted them around. How could they fail to see the strength he gained from the mere feelings, the pure emotions he held in his heart?"

The figure cackled softly, and watched again the teen moving fluidly in the misty depths of the orb.

"But we know better, don't we, Rumor? Come, let us pay a visit to the Keyblade Master."

The crimson figure waved its pale hand over the orb, and the flashing image vanished from its swirling smoke. A few steps towards the shadows, and the figure faded into the darkness, the panther following soon after.

In the forest clearing, the Keyblade continued to whirl around as Sora practiced alone. His mind spun even faster than his weapon, and memories chased one another in an endless cycle in his ears.

_-Kairi, no matter what, I'll always be there for you!_

_Sora, take care of her._

_-There will always be another door to the light._

_-Sora, take this._

Sora thrust the Keyblade forward with more force than he meant, and it sliced through a sapling directly before him. His hands shook, and he dropped down on a fallen log, hands on his face. Sweat glistened on every part of his body, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. The Keyblade had fallen to the leaf-strewn floor, sparkling in the evening sun. Weary fingers traveled slowly down his shining neck to clasp on the frail blue pendant. Sora's fist trembled around it, and a pearly tear trailed slowly down his cheek.

"Kairi, I...I..."

He looked up to the sky, his eyes reflecting the vibrant colors of the deepening twilight. Sora sighed, and a sad smile played across his lips.

"At least you're safe."

His hands reached to the ground, grasping the handle of the Keyblade. A sudden movement caught his eye, and Sora stiffened, standing slowly, his senses alert. He stayed like that for a minute or two, then relaxed, believing the danger to be gone. His eyes flicked back to the pendant.

"You may be far away, but as long as I can stop and remember you, I'll always be alright."

"Too true, Keyblade Master."

Sora raised the Keyblade in an instant, but was still barely fast enough to block the sudden flash of claws and teeth. He somersaulted backwards, whipping around and striking out at the creature, sending it leaping gracefully back to the side of the shadowy form at the edge of the clearing.

"I don't think he appreciated that, Rumor."

From the gloom emerged a tall, lithe figure clothed in tattered robes of deepest crimson. Lifeless, ash-grey hair hung in a curtain around a face bearing somewhat elven features, the skin a pale, flawless white. It seemed as though all color had been sucked away, right down to the watery silver eyes that sparkled darkly with hidden secrets. The only color evident was her scarlet lips; for the figure was most definitely feminine.

"Who are you?" Sora's blue eyes narrowed as the woman approached, and he brought the Keyblade around to bear between them. Her pale hand reached down to stroke the panther between the eyes. The corners of her scarlet mouth twitched into a malevolent smile, her beautiful features radiating pure evil.

"I? I am the Crimson Sorceress. But you may call me Sashiro." Her voice held a hint of a cruel laugh, and she bowed mockingly.

"And I know who you are, Sora Keyblade Master."

Her own silver eyes, along with the glowing gold ones of her pet, fell on the magnificent weapon, though it now had grown, intricate gold and silver tracings weaving in and out along its length and breadth, the Ultima keychain swinging gently from its pommel, Sora's hand moving back to its grip.

"Impressive, Keyblade Master; but I'm afraid it will take more than that when the time comes."

Sashiro paused, seeming to look past Sora, and her smile turned into a devilish grin.

"I believe we are about to have some uninvited guests joining this private conversation. We wouldn't want them to be rude now, would we, Rumor?"

She flicked her hand, and the panther leapt off in a hurry. Sora took a swipe, but just as the Keyblade would have connected, the feline vanished into a shadowy mist. Sashiro laughed softly.

"Leave my friends alone, Sashiro," Sora said, turning back to glare at her. "I'm warning you."

"I wouldn't dream of it; your pathetic companions aren't worth the effort." She extended a pale hand menacingly towards him, her eyes flashing wickedly. "Besides, you gave much more important things to worry about, dear boy; like yourself."

Sora gasped and took a step backwards in spite of himself.

From their seats on the hills, Donald and Goofy watched as the flashes of gold and silver stopped. They stared at the clearing, their expressions growing even more worried.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Goofy," Donald said, his voice more gravelly than usual.

"Me, too. Let's go check on Sora."

"Right, let's go."

The two companions rose and headed down the hill. As they neared the edges of the woods, two golden pinpricks appeared from the gloom. Donald threw a hand out to stop Goofy. He stared back at the glowing dots, and suddenly whipped out his staff. A giant fireball flew through the dusk towards the gloom, and the lights disappeared.

"Ha! Got it–AUGH!"

The large black panther landed square on Donald's chest, knocking him to the ground and immediately leaping at Goofy. His stout shield blocked the claws, throwing the cat back to circle the two. It soon became clear this was to be a stalemate, Donald casting spells the feline easily dodged while Goofy held the shield before them protectively, the panther seemingly only interested in preventing their entrance into the clearing.

"I sure hope Sora's okay in there," Goofy said to his friend.

"Yeah, let's hope so."

A ball of dark magic formed in Sashiro's hand, and she blasted it towards Sora. He dodged, rolling to the side in the nick of time, only to find another blast directly before him. He was quickly surrounded by dark magic, the only escape blocked by the looming form of the Crimson Sorceress. She cackled, and her hand rose, one long, spidery finger pointing towards Sora.

"Do you know what makes you so strong, Keyblade Master? It is not your weapon, as so many think; it is your heart. Your heart is special, the only one to survive and return after you became a Heartless for your silly little girlfriend; your heart, which carried you through those idiots' castle. You see, they went about things the wrong way. The heart is affected by memories, yes, but even more so by emotion! The memories and emotions are linked; throw off their balance, disturb their frail structure within the heart and watch it shatter! I will show those fools the true way to conquer the heart; see for yourself, Keyblade Master, what happens when this balance is broken!"

Sora's eyes widened in shock and fear, and he whirled around to hack wildly at the dark magic around him, the Keyblade merely bouncing off. He flung himself, panicking, into the barrier and was thrown backwards forcefully. Sashiro grabbed his arm in one hand, spinning him around to face her, her cold silver eyes inches from his scared blue ones, and a sinister laugh emerged from her lips to echo in his ears. She glanced at the pendant on Sora's neck, and his gaze followed hers.

"No, ... please,..." he pleaded, begging with her. Sashiro bent forward to whisper in his ear,

"Say good-bye."

Her free hand glowed a poisonous blue, and she thrust Sora to his knees. The blue light enveloped him, and he cried out in pain. His hand flew to his chest, the Keyblade falling to the ground as he clutched in vain at the pulsing pain in his heart. Sora screamed again, low and guttural, the sound echoing of the primal ache coursing through his veins. He writhed in agony, twitching in the scattered leaves and clawing madly in an attempt to reach his heart.

The light faded after a while along with the dark magic barrier, and Sora's body slumped limply back against a tree trunk as he panted heavily. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"What–what did you–did you do, Sashiro?" He could barely gasp out the words, and his usually bright eyes were glazed over as they stared at the Crimson Sorceress.

"Do? Oh, yes, I imagine you are in quite an amount of pain, aren't you? Do? Why, I simply took your memories of your silly little girlfriend, that's all!" Her face cracked again into that devilish grin. "With all memories of her gone, the emotions associated with them are throwing off the balance in your heart, and you will slowly lose whatever strength came from that extraordinary ticker of yours. Oh, and there's also the pain you're bound to feel at losing someone so close... pity..."

Her high, cold laugh sent the birds twittering form the trees, and a glittering, shining ball appeared in her hand. It was incredibly beautiful, almost impossibly beautiful.

"How precious these things called memories are, how beautiful they seem to us," she raised her hand to indicate the glowing light, "But if you want them back, they're right here, Keyblade Master."

Sashiro held her hands temptingly close to Sora, yet he was so weak, he could barely summon the energy to raise a finger, let alone snatch at the orb glowing before him. Sashiro smirked, her hands waving gracefully, and the orb vanished as the sun sank past the horizon in a blaze of glorious colors.

"Ha," she said softly in Sora's face, "Let's go, Rumor."

She snapped her fingers, and within seconds, the black panther appeared in the gloom at her side. Both headed into the shadows, and she whispered tauntingly as she faded into blackness,

"We shall meet again, Keyblade Master."

Sora opened his mouth to call after her, but his body gave out, the last of his energy drained. He eyes rolled back into his head and his mind slipped into unconciousness.

The panther continued in its careful circling of Donald and Goofy.

"I say we try to charge it," Donald whispered secretively.

"Gotcha!" Goofy said loudly. Donald smacked his head despairingly and sighed.

"On three, okay? One–two–"

Suddenly, the cat's ears flicked back towards the clearing, its head swivelling around on its shoulders. It growled once at the two companions and bounded off, fading into the shadows. Donald and Goofy stared at each other confusedly.

"Come on, let's go help Sora," Goofy said, and they ran headlong down the path, soon reaching the clearing. Sora lay unmoving, face-down in the dirt, the Keyblade still lay forgotten by his side.

"Sora!"

They ran over, Donald casting a healing spell as he went.

"Gawrsh, are you alright, Sora?"

Goofy sat him up, and Sora's eyes fluttered open. He moaned weakly and looked faintly around the clearing.

"Sashiro...come back..."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other, confused once more.

"Who's Sashiro?" they asked in unison.

"Took...memories,...memories of...of...of her..."

Sora clutched at his chest, grasping for the pendant and wincing in pain, his face contorted in an awful grimace.

"What! Not your memories of Kairi!"

"Kairi? Is that her name? I can't remember..."

The two looked on as Sora's eyes filled with tears once more, and he broke down and cried. Goofy patted him on the shoulder, and Donald stared sadly at them.

"Don't worry, Sora. We'll get them back, all of us."

"Yeah!" Goofy said. "Besides, you guys shared that fruit thing, that popo, or papa, or something, remember?"

Donald glared at Goofy through the ever-fading light.

"It's _paupu_, and no, he doesn't remember, stupid."

"Oh, yeah..."

Sora continued to cry silently, and the companions could only wait, unable to help their closest friend in his time of need.

Sashiro walked through her lair and flopped precariously onto the arm of her marble throne. The panther padded up to lay at her feet. She stared thoughtfully at his pitch-black fur.

"I suppose I could I have done that differently, but if Marluxia had one thing right, it was that even a shattered heart will mend with time."

She leaned back, the devilish grin spreading across her pale face.

"Sashiro, one; Keyblade Master, zero!"

She cackled evilly to the cobwebs on her high-arched ceilings.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

(Scene 1)

Dusk ended and night fell, quite sobs floating on the air. With the light faded the physical pain, but Sora's soul still burned within him. The tears had fallen until there were none left to cry, his body heaving with grief. An uneasy silence filled the little clearing, the teen's friends worriedly watching him from the corners of their eyes as they began to prepare for the night. A fire was soon blazing before them, its flickering light casting deep shadows on Sora's already darkened face. He sighed heavily, finally raising his head to look at the two with tired, blood-shot eyes.

"I'm sorry, guys," he said quietly, trying to smile but choking instead on a racking sob. His companions walked over and sat by Sora on the ground.

"We'll be alright; you just make sure you get better, okay?"

Goofy put a comforting arm on his shoulder, and his kind face inched closer to Sora's until he grinned weakly.

"Yeah, alright."

The three settled in and soon succumbed to sleep. The tousle-haired teen turned, tossing fitfully in unrest, scattering the leaves beneath him. He moaned softly in his slumber, and a hand reached out to clasp on a frail blue charm whose secrets still pulsed warmly in his palm, a voice whispering sweetly in his mind.

(Scene 2)

The Crimson Sorceress sat in her cold stone lair, lounging in her marble throne, a bored expression masking her features. Her long legs were crossed, red-slippered feet twitching and tapping out a rhythm. In a sudden, frustrated movement, Sashiro rose, blood-red robes streaming out behind her as she stalked through the drafty halls of her domain, pacing feverishly. Her scarlet lips were a thin line of annoyance and her silver eyes flashed, angry and narrowed.

"Why isn't he broken!" she screamed. The outburst caused Rumor to raise his head from where he lay, perched atop a high ledge with paws hanging down. His golden, lamp-like eyes followed Sashiro as she crossed the room again and again, his head swinging right and left to watch.

"Why? Those were his most treasured memories, bound in his strongest emotions. The Keyblade Master's heart should be overrun, swept away in the tide by the overflow of feelings. He should be lifeless and pliable to my every whim!" She paused in her pacing, and her face slowly cracked into a wicked smirk. Silently, Rumor jumped down to her side, and Sashiro cupped the panther's face in her white hands.

"It seems the Keyblade Master draws on other emotions, Rumor, my love." Her eyes sparkled dangerously, and she rubbed the cat's head gently, a loud purr rising from his throat.

"What do you suppose these hold?" she posed, holding one hand out, the beautiful, glowing mass of memories appearing between her spidery fingers. Its shimmering light illuminated her pale face as she held it close to stare avidly into its depths as she would her scrying orb. Her hand moved back, and the globe hovered before her.

"I must know what secrets they contain!" Sashiro proclaimed, her voice bordering on the edge of possession. She reached out again, both hands creeping longingly towards the ball of memories, fingers trembling in anticipation. After a few excruciating seconds, her fists closed around it.

In an instant, the globe shone with an intense, vivid light, and the hands clutched possessively around it jerked tight, Sashiro's body convulsing where she stood. Rumor backed up, frightened as she shrieked in pain. The mass of memories flared once more, and her scarlet form was sent flying. She flailed wildy, landing with a heavy thud at the base of the far wall. A soft curse issued from her lips as she rose unsteadily.

"Such power,... I never knew,..." she said weakly, adjusting her robes, placing them back on her shoulders. "It appears, Rumor, that even I, the Crimson Sorceress, have much to learn. But the heart of the Keyblade Master will be mine, my pet; let there be no mistake."

She approached the mass of memories, now shining a gentle white and twinkling innocently. Her hands flicked spitefully, and the ball vanished once more. Ash-grey hair fell in her face, and she swept across the room, back to her scrying orb. Silver eyes beheld their depths for a second, and she smiled ruefully.

"Come, my sweet, there is still much we have yet to do. His heart is not in our hands, and we must make preparations for that time."

Her voice was cold and cruel, echoing across the empty hall. Her long white fingers snapped loudly, and the large black panther inched slowly and cautiously from the shadowy corner in which he had been cowering, tentatively approaching his master's side. She whispered softly in his ear, and Rumor bounded off into the darkness amidst her laughter.

(Scene 3)

Sora woke with a start, his eyes snapping open to search wildly through the predawn. The pendant on his neck shone brightly, and he had a mental image of an attractive young girl with short red hair. Just as quickly, the image faded, and he could not recall who she was, or even bring her picture back into his mind. Sora sat up quickly, glancing at his slumbering companions. It was useless to try to sleep again; his mind was working overtime. He sat down on the fallen log he had slumped on the previous day, deciding to keep guard until the others awoke.

The sun finally rose above the horizon, streaking the sky with golds, reds and oranges. In the silence, he tried to remember the girl. _What was her name?_ his thought desperately to himself. _If she is so special to me, why can't I at least remember that?_

He knew the answer, and his teeth gritted together in his mouth. He pulled the chain of the Keyblade out of his pocket, the Kingdom Keychain now dangling from it, and he swung it through the air, summoning the gleaming weapon. Sora twirled it around deftly, beginning again the workout he had done before. As the morning wore on, his friends began to stir, and eventually the clearing was alive with the sounds of their voices.

"So, where do you think we should start looking for that Sashiro lady?" Donald asked earnestly, his face a mirror of perfect seriousness. Sora stared at him, then turned away.

"I don't know."

"Then why don't we ask for directions?" chimed Goofy, serious as well. Donald sighed exasperatedly, but Sora looked hopeful.

"It couldn't hurt."

The three set off at midday, walking along the forest path, soon leaving the little clearing well behind them. As they journeyed, Sora's thoughts stayed on his lost memories.

"Hey guys, could you remind me of her name? Maybe if I knew that..." he trailed off, his blue eyes begging for an answer.

"Oh, no; not the puppy-dog look!" Donald joked, but stopped when he saw Sora's expression.

"Her name's Kairi; don't you remember _that_?"

"Kairi," Sora said. "Kairi. _Kairi._ Kai-" He suddenly stopped, his face falling. "What was her name?"

"Kairi!"

"Oh."

Sora stopped walking, his mood turning glum. Donald and Goofy could see the loss eating away at his heart, and could only watch as he slowly slipped into the depths of forgetfulness.

"Don't worry, Sora! We'll help you remember the important stuff. Her name's Kairi, and we'll just keep saying that until it sticks, okay?"

Goofy grinned at him, and Sora's face broke into a wide smile as well.

"Okay!"

His heart a bit lighter now, he began to run down the path, hurtling along the winding road. Passing into a dense patch of trees, he brought the Keyblade out, whacking out at the branches and undergrowth. In the murky haze, two golden lights blazed out at him, winking out in an instant. Sora kept up a steady pace through the brush, and soon stopped to rest. His breathing was hardly labored for such work, and he turned to look back at his companions, catching sight of the two golden pinpricks as they glowed to his left.

"It's that panther!" he yelled angrily, and charged off in its direction, the glowing eyes once again disappearing from sight. Sora raced recklessly after the cat, his clothes catching on brambles, his feet tripping on exposed roots. Donald and Goofy called after him, doing their best to keep up.

Somehow, the feline managed to stay always one step ahead of him, his eyes shining from behind a bush only to vanish a second later, his glossy fur streaking past like a phantom, ghost-like and ethereal. Sora's nerves were on edge, and he grew hot with anger.

"Sora, wait!"

"I'll get you, Sashiro; you and your stupid cat!"

Sora ran through the dimly lit depths of the forest, and it grew almost impossible to see. He slowed, and the panther appeared before him tauntingly.

"I've got you now," he said, pulling the Keyblade into position for an attack. The shadows around the teen began to ripple, and dark creatures emerged from their depths. In a heartbeat, Sora had the Ultima keychain swinging from his blade, and Donald and Goofy ran up behind him.

Within moments, a battle began to blaze. It was a melee, the three comrades fighting fiercely and feverishly against the creatures, who fought back just as violently. In the confusion, Sora lost sight of the panther, and he tried vainly to push his way through the attacking hoard to catch a glimpse of it. Instead, he had to battle his way through the legions, and was soon winded, along with his friends. As the last of the fiends vanished into a wisp of smoke, he saw it. The panther was slinking through the undergrowth, winding its way away from them to-

"Sashiro." Sora spat the words out like venom. His body was cut, bleeding and bruised from the fight, and he fought for breath in the humid air of the dense forest. The sorceress grinned at him through the gloom.

"So, you thought that a batch of Heartless could stop me?" Sora yelled, his voice shaking with anger.

"Heartless? No, Keyblade Master, I would not stoop so low. You insult me by placing me in the same category as that idiot Ansem. These are my own creations. Besides, why would I send Heartless after you to take your heart when I want if for myself?"

"My heart!" Sora dropped his guard in surprise. "Why do you want my heart?"

Sashiro merely laughed at his question.

"Fine; have it your way. I _will_ get my memories back!"

He rushed the scarlet figure, blue eyes blazing. The Keyblade glittered even in the near-dark, and he swung it forwards in a blur of gold and silver. The Crimson Sorceress thrust her hand forward, and a jet of dark magic sent Sora into air.

"I don't think so, Keyblade Master. You see, you are too weak physically to defend against my magic after that spat with my minions;" she watched as Sora landed hard on the dirt of the forest floor, rolling a bit in an effort to soften the blow, "And thanks to my little theft, your heart is not strong enough, either."

Her panther made a coughing noise, and Sora could have sworn it was laughing at him. It began to circle him, but Donald shot it away with a blast of lightning, causing the cat to turn on his two companions once again. Sashiro gazed unhurriedly at this, nodding in approval before turning back to face Sora again. He rose, muscles screaming after his fall, pulling the Keyblade around between them, but it rose and fell unsteadily. A white hand shot out, and he was trapped in dark magic, unable to move.

He struggled against the magic, and Donald and Goofy, try as they might, couldn't get past the woman's pet. They kept trying, knowing she would try something on Sora soon.

Sashiro slowly walked towards the teen, and her face held that same mocking smile as before. When she spoke, her voice dripped with contempt.

"And so it ends, Keyblade Master. I gain your heart, along with the unknown powers it holds."

He thrashed around, but was still held firmly in place. She reached out, placing her hand on his heaving chest. Her long grey fingernails began to dig into his skin, her hand glowing a deep, poisonous blue.

"No!" Sora screamed.

_Someone help me! _he thought, praying for a miraculous rescue. Suddenly, the blue pendant on his neck began to glow as well, a bright purple light emanating from it. Sora was shocked, and so, it seemed, was Sashiro.

"What the-?"

The purple light spread around Sora, and the blue around Sashiro's hand began to fade, relenting against the tide of the pendant's glow.

"This cannot be!" shrieked the Crimson Sorceress. "What have you done, Keyblade Master?"

She backed up, fear evident in her eyes, and her hand began to glow again, but now in the vivid purple light of the pendant. Her hand jerked forward, as if pulled against her will. The shimmering mass of memories started to form there between her fingers, and Sora gasped at what he saw.

There, before him, stood the dim outline of a young girl, and he recognized her in the back of his mind. He called out, and the girl smiled at him. In a flash, she was gone, but his heart now burned with a burst of strength. Sora turned to the frightened Sashiro.

"Give them back. Now."

"No!" she shrieked. "Your heart will yet be mine, Keyblade Master!"

Sashiro recovered quickly from her shock, and waved her hands to banish the glowing memories, but they wouldn't disappear. She looked up to find Sora's hand reaching out to grasp them, fighting against the dark magic that bound him. His fingers inched closer and closer, second by second he neared his memories.

"I won't give them to you!"

Sashiro focused all her magic on the shimmering globe, trying to keep them away from Sora. The dark magic around him evaporated, but Sora's whole concentration was on reaching his goal. The battle went on for minutes, neither gaining any ground.

The memories pulsed violently, and Sora feared he would lose them. He fought even harder, and Sashiro answered back with equal force. The pulsing increased, and the light throbbed before them. Then, with a horrible cracking sound, the mass of memories split into a dozen or so pieces. The tiny lights zoomed off in all directions. One of the larger shards flew past the Crimson Sorceress, and she smiled malevolently. The large light braked to a stop, shuddered, then zipped in her direction, fading back into her hand. In response, another, slightly smaller shard came flying at Sora.

His eyes flew open, the pendant glowing bright again in gentle blue, and his face contorted in a grimace as the light sunk into his chest. He exhaled, deep and shudderingly, falling to his knees weakly, but Sashiro was already fading into the darkness around him, her wicked scarlet smile vivid against the black.

"Well, well, this was unexpected, but it shall not be a complete loss. I still have your most treasured memory, Keyblade Master, and I will yet gain your heart!"

She snapped her fingers, and the panther limped off after her rapidly disappearing figure, slightly injured from the multitude of spells Donald had cast at him. Once again, her cold, high laugh echoed in Sora's ears. The two friends ran up to him as he lay there, exhausted.

"I...I remember!" he exclaimed, looking up at them from the ground.

"You remember something?"

"Yeah, I remember... I remember that she gave this to me, her good luck charm," he grasped the intricate pendant once more, the glow gone now. "She gave it to me to keep me safe."

His two friends exchanged glances, and looked back at him.

"That's all?"

"Yep," Sora said glumly, but his face soon brightened again. "But it's better than nothing, right?"

Donald and Goofy smiled along with him, sharing in his moment of happiness.

"Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Her name's Kairi."

Sora laughed out loud.

"Thanks, Goofy."

(Scene 4)

Back in her lair, Sashiro sat morosely stroking her panther's black ears. She looked into her scrying orb, watching as the shards of memories drifted down to land in scattered locales. Huffing noisily, she summoned the one memory she had retained, the largest piece of them all.

"The Keyblade Master's most treasured memory," she mused, staring at it wishfully. "The memory that fuels his strongest emotions, empowers his heart to near perfection. What do you suppose it is, Rumor?"

The large panther lifted his head to gaze sleepily at her, tilting it so as to appear almost questioning.

"Yes, we may never know, my love. But as long as we have this one single memory, he can gather the rest to his heart's content. We will still be stronger."

Sashiro continued to stare at the glowing shard, watching out of the corner of her eye as the scrying orb showed the location of the memory shard closest to the Keyblade Master.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

(Scene 1)

A sudden blaze lit the afternoon sky, and something streaked across the azure blue above a small girl's head. She stared up in wonder with brilliant green eyes, tracking its progress until it touched down far on the horizon. Raising a cloud of dust, the girl ran back in the direction of a small town, jet-black hair flying back behind her.

"Papa, Papa! A falling star!" she cried as she flung herself at the knees of an older man.

"What have I told you, honey? The correct term is a _meteorite_," he said, still avidly studying the star charts before him.

"But Papa, it landed in the forest!"

"That's nice, dear."

"But Papa-"

Her voice faded as the girl realized he had already gone back to his charts. From the hallway watched an identical pair of bright green eyes, a long curtain of ebony hair almost hiding a worried face. Silently, the teen slipped out the back, leaving her sister and father behind as she trekked off in the direction of the fallen star.

(Scene 2)

Sora rose, watching as his memories streaked off above him, gazing as they sputtered out into darkness. He sighed, turning to his companions, smiling happily.

"Come on, let's go."

Donald and Goofy exchanged glances.

"Where?"

Sora shrugged, heading off in the direction of the gummi ship. He put his hands behind his head, walking slowly along.

"I don't know, but we've got to start somewhere."

The three climbed into the ship, settling into chairs. Sora pulled a world map towards him. He studied it closely, poring over each world with a keen eye, leaning forward until his face was mere inches from the inked surface. With a soft clatter, his pendant slid out on its chain, glowing gently blue again.

"Hey, Sora, look!" Donald exclaimed in surprise. Sora turned his head to look at him.

"What?"

He caught sight of the pendant, tugging lightly at the chain, stretched towards the map. Sora glanced quizzically at his friends, then slipped the chain from around his neck. He held it above the map, and the furthermost tip touched down upon a single world, pulling steadily against his grasp. Sora lifted the charm from the mao, swinging it gently around before lowering it again. It swung in an arc, sweeping around to stop, quivering, once more on the same world.

"I guess we're going here," Sora said, and the ship turned, blasting off into the sky. After a few hours, they landed in a grassy knoll a distance away from a little town. The bright afternoon sun glared down upon them as they traveled, and Sora once again found his pendant tugging ever so gently against its chain, glowing so faintly as to seem to be merely reflecting the sunlight. He headed in the direction it pulled, tousle-haired head bowed as he followed it into a wooded valley, Donald and Goofy trailing along behind him.

Sora continued on through the valley, keeping a steady pace as he walked what seemed a random course. He stopped only once to rest, and then spoke very little to his companions, his mind distracted and focused on his search. A sudden rustle behind the group, however, made him vividly aware of his surroundings. Sora shot a quick glance at the other two, silently telling them he would take care of it. They nodded, and the Keyblade appeared furtively in a hand behind Sora's back. He shifted positions carefully, then swung the Keyblade around in a blur to point at a treetop.

"FIRE!"

The spell ripped through the air to impact beneath the largest branch, and a loud squeal, followed by a hollow thud, came from the tree as something toppled heavily from the limbs. Sora rushed over to the black and green heap, brandishing the Keyblade.

"Gotcha!"

"Eek! Oh, please don't hurt me! Ow-"

Sora stared as a girl about his age stood up and brushed herself off. She tied her long raven hair back behind her head, gazing uncertainly at Sora with emerald eyes.

"Hey, I could have killed you! What were you doing in that tree?"

The girl's hands fiddled nervously behind her, and her head bowed to touch her green shirt. She looked back at Sora bashfully through her bangs, speaking to the ground.

"I saw you coming and wanted a closer look, but you looked so preoccupied, I..." she blushed and looked away. Sora blinked, then grinned at her.

"Oh, is that all? Well, in that case, I"m Sora." He held out his gloved hand.

"Uh," she looked at it shyly, then shook. "I'm Nova. Actually, my name's Nova Libra, but only my dad calls me that. He's an astronomer."

Nova sat down alongside Sora, glancing uneasily at Donald and Goofy, soon staring openly with visible curiosity. They shifted uncomfortably, and she continued to stare, raising an eyebrow. Her mouth opened to speak when she caught sight of the Keyblade.

"What kind of weapon is that, a flamethrower? That was quite a blast you shot at me."

"A flamethrower, Heck, no!" Sora laughed out loud. "Nothing but metal here!"

"So you _magically_ summoned a giant fireball out of thin air, did you? Not unless you can break the Law of Conservation of Mass, not to mention numerous laws of physics, you didn't."

Sora laughed again, sheepishly this time. Nova grabbed the Keyblade, running her hands along its handle and examining every inch.

"Hey, the Keyblade is not a toy!" Sora snatched at it, but she pulled the blade back out of his reach.

"'_Keyblade?'_ This is a sword? Yeah, right. The balance is off, too far forward; the blade isn't remotely sharp; and it is completely un-  
aerodynamic. Trust me, my dad's an astronomer , my mom's a physicist and I read Trig books when I was eight; this is completely useless as a weapon."

She swung the Keyblade, but it disappeared in a flash to reappear in Sora's hand.

"What the-? But that's impossible! You just defied the laws of nature!"

Sora flicked the Keyblade in a flash through a series of thrusts, parries and blows, flourishing it dramatically at the end. He grinned, somewhat abashed.

"Guess it's too late to say you're dreaming?"

Nova stared, flabbergasted, her mouth flapping open and shut like a fish. Sora put the Keyblade away, causing her eyes to bulge even further. He sat back down.

"So what are you doing all the way out here all alone?"

Nova though for a bit, and when she recovered sufficiently from her shock, she answered.

"My little sister said a falling star landed somewhere near here. My dad didn't believer her, but I saw it, too. I figured the probability of us seeing the same phenomenon at the exact same time and it being an illusion was approximately 765,894 to 1. So I went out to see if I could find the fallen star. Excuse me,_ meteorite._"

Now it was Sora's turn to stare, as well as Donald and Goofy. When they had digested and translated this information, Donald's eyes widened.

"A falling star? Sora, that could be-?" Sora shot him a look, silencing him. _We've already meddled enough, _he thought,_ telling her about the memories would just make things worse. _Nova looked from Sora to Donald, wondering what he was going to say. Sora composed himself quickly.

"Could you show us that falling star? We're looking for something like that."

"Sure," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know exactly where the meteorite landed, but I do know it hit somewhere over there." She raised a hand to point off to their left. Sora looked, then glanced at the pendant. So far, Nova hadn't noticed that it was glowing against his chest. He tucked it in his shirt as it pulled him in the direction she was pointing, stronger now than before. He wondered if it was guiding him to the memory shard. Rising, he walked off, and Donald and Goofy came after him.

"Sora, wait!"

Nova raced up to the three.

"If you're going to look for the falling star, can I come with you?"

She blushed brightly, fidgeting her hands behind her back again. Sora stopped, thinking. Another pair of eyes would be useful, and he didn't want to leave her out here alone.

"Alright! We'll split into two groups to cover more ground; you'll go with me, Nova." She brightened immediately, and the two groups set off on slightly skewed routes. Donald and Goofy trudged off as Sora and Nova went on through the trees.

(Scene 3)

Two teenage figures walked in the mist of a scrying orb, their voices echoing hollowly from its depths. Sashiro watched irritably, her mind still puzzling over the Keyblade Master. Rumor placed his head on her knee, and she gazed into the panther's golden eyes.

"He draws closer, my pet. Too close..."

Her eyes narrowed, and she flicked her hand at the orb. It began to show a flyby of the valley, zooming past the two searchers and through the trees. After a few seconds, a glowing crystalline shard came into view, glinting in the dark beneath a tree root.

"It will not take him long to find that shard," she mused. "We must...delay him."

She smiled wickedly and Rumor rose.

"Send the Keyblade Master a message, Rumor," Sashiro tied a scroll around his neck, "and give him our warmest wishes!"

The panther nodded, purring, and strode off into the darkness, shadowy creatures appearing to follow him. The Crimson Sorceress turned and walked to the back of the stone room where a large iridescent shard stood encased by glass, bound by chains of dark magic. It was shining brightly, reacting to the smaller shard shown in the orb.

"In the meantime, I have other things to attend to." Her pale fingers caressed the glass, and she almost opened the case, but she knew the power contained within the memory shard far surpassed anything she could muster quickly.

"You shall not be alone for long," Sashiro whispered, a hand twitching. Behind her, the image in her scrying orb faded, giving way to another picture; a view of a small shard glowing beneath the surface of a lake. She laughed softly.

"Soon, soon."

Her crimson robes swished once, and she vanished into the gloom.

(Scene 4)

Sora walked along, Nova beside him as he followed the silent pull of his pendant. They kept up polite conversation, Nova throwing in comments at random about some interesting fact or describing some fascinating natural process, often sounding as if she was regurgitating a textbook. Sora listened, replying when he understood what she was saying which was about half the time. He was forced to take another break after an hour or so, secretly glancing at the charm when Nova's back was turned. It was glowing brightly and the pull was getting quite strong now.

"We've got to be close," he muttered.

"What?" Nova turned to look at him from her seat.

"We've got to be close, Nova. We must have gone miles."

The girl rose, eyes twinkling with the light of adventure, and she handed a canteen of water to Sora, who took a long draw from it.

"You know that the length of time it takes to find something is directly related to the importance of said something and inversely related to the amount of patience contained by the finder."

Sora raised his eyebrows as he handed the canteen back to Nova.

"Whatever that means."

She grinned mischievously, laughing, and ran off ahead as he called after her. Her laughter echoed through the trees as they ran, and she turned her head to stick her tongue out at him impudently.

"Oh, you'll pay for that!" Sora yelled, laughing as well, chasing her and closing the gap.

"I'll get you, Nova! And you _will_ tell me what that meant back there! Nova?"

He stopped as he almost collided with her back, and he swept ivory hair from his face. Sora looked at her, but Nova's emerald eyes were fixed on something ahead of her. He waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Earth to Nova."

"I've found it," she whispered excitedly. Sora started, and he followed her gaze. There, under the gnarled roots of an ancient oak, glimmered a memory shard. He approached slowly, not wanting to believe it in case it was just an illusion. Ever so carefully, he reached out, almost touching the crystal when a stifled scream came from behind him. Sora whirled around.

"Nova!"

He pulled his arm in a wide arc, the Keyblade flaring into life in his hand. Surrounding the girl were countless shadow creatures, and Sora could feel the dark magic of Sashiro pulsing through them. Nova backed up, terrified, into the wave of monsters, shrieking aloud as one took a swipe at her, missing by inches.

"Sora, help me!"

"Hold on, Nova! I'm coming!"

Sora rushed the creatures, scattering the frontrunners before clipping the Ultima charm to the Keyblade. He struck out into the mass of shadows, obliterating a handful of the things as he cut a path to Nova's side. Sora reached out and pulled her close. She clung to him, scared out of her mind.

"What about the meteorite?"

"No time for that now!" he yelled, dealing a crushing blow to the nearest creature, and it vaporized into a puff of black smoke. It seemed, however, that the more Sora killed, the more came to take their place.

"They're multiplying exponentially, Sora!"

"If you have to talk, talk in English!"

Sora held the creatures of as well as he could, but it was only a matter of time before the wave of darkness swept both him and Nova away. AS he moved, the pendant around Sora's neck flew out of his shirt, and it now glowed a brilliant blue.

"Hey, Sora! Over here!"

"Donald! Goofy!" His two companions came running up from their left, Donald blasting the creatures with his magic, Goofy barreling through with his shield.

"Goofy, protect her!"

Sora began to clear a path towards the memory shard, wading through the shadows' onslaught. Goofy ran up to the raven-haired girl.

"Don't worry, miss Nova!" he said as he bashed the head of a shadow with his shield. Sora closed on the ancient oak, the shard coming into view, glowing brightly in response to the pendant. His fingers almost grasped it time and again, but he was always swept away from the roots at the last second. Nova watched from behind Donald and Goofy, and she threw her brain into overdrive. She watched as the creatures neared the shard, always skirting the edge of its glow, those that touched it flinching away in pain. Her green eyes widened suddenly as an idea struck her. She wrenched the shield from Goofy's hands and began to shove through the monsters, heading straight for Sora.

"Please and thank you!" she yelled behind her.

"Nova, what are you doing?" Sora cried, disappearing as a fresh wave caught him and he was forced to hack his way through.

"I've got an idea, Sora! Please, trust me!"

Nova, smaller and more agile than Sora, dodged through the tiny openings and between the limbs of the shadows, and she rushed past the oak roots, snatching the memory shard fast as lightning. She ran further on until Sora thought she was running away. Nova stopped, suddenly dropping to her knees. She stuck her tongue out, biting it as she quickly calculated angles in her head. She jammed the shield into the ground, tilting it forward until it stood facing the shadow army.

"I hope this works," she said to herself, and she ran back towards the raging battle a few yards. Her eyes shut tight as her face turned away, and she thrust her hand at the shield, the memory shard held clenched in her fist. The shard's glow streaked out in all directions, and within seconds the shield lit up, reflecting the blue light back towards the dark creatures. A loud wail came from each monster's throat as they vanished in a hazy vapor. Nova opened her eyes cautiously, and the first thing she saw was Sora grinning broadly at her.

"Brains over brawn, huh?"

She smiled as well, shrugging casually.

"Naturally. You see, it occurred to me that-"

Her mouth opened in a gasp as a black panther dropped her to the ground.

"Nova!"

The panther's momentum carried it past the girl, and she groaned softly as she tried to rise. She winced in pain, but she struggled up. The cat growled and readied itself for another attack, its eyes fixed on the glowing crystal in her hand.

"Sora, catch," she said, pulling her arm behind her head as the panther leapt towards her. Nova flung the shard as hard as she could, and just as it left her hand, one giant claw slashed across her chest. Three long gashes appeared down her front, and warm blood began to seep int her green shirt. Sora instinctively reached up to catch the flying shard, and it connected with his flesh in a dazzling blaze.

"_Nova!_" he screamed, buy he was cut short as his pendant blazed suddenly vivid blue, and his body jerked to his knees, flaring with light as well. Sora's head snapped back, eyes wide open, and he thrashed about with the magic. He moaned involuntarily as the memory shard sunk into his palm, and the light faded away.

Donald and Goofy raced to his side worriedly, but Sora had already risen and was brandishing the Keyblade at the panther.

"Leave her alone, you stupid cat!" He hurled the blade towards it, and the cat leapt nimbly aside, snarling at Sora. AS the Keyblade flew back to his hand, the panther's eyes glittered dangerously, and it shook its head, dislodging a scroll from around its neck. The note fluttered down to land next to Nova's motionless form, and the panther ran off in the shadows.

Sora hurried up to Nova's side, grabbing the scroll and reading it angrily. It contained only a short message in neat, handwritten cursive:

**Your heart will yet be mine, Keyblade Master**

**Until we meet again**

He crushed the paper into a ball in his fist, gritting his teeth in rage. Sora lifted Nova's limp form gently into his arms, cradling her close and turning to his friends.

"Come on, we need to het her some help. I don't know why, but something tells me that panther's dark magic will make our cure spells useless."

The three began to run through the valley as quickly as they could without risking Nova's health.

(Scene 5)

"Help! Somebody help her!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy made their way down the dirt road to the village through the twilight, people rushing up to guide them to the astronomer's house. A small girl, almost a miniature Nova, held the door open for the party, her eyes wide in fear. Her father appeared in the hallway, frantically running his hands through his hair as he watched Sora lay his daughter down on her bed.

"Oh, my little Nova Libra, what happened to you?" he asked, caressing her face and brushing her hair back behind her ear. Donald and Goofy led him out to the sitting room, trying to calm his distraught nerves. Sora stayed, helping her mother and the doctor clean and bandage the wounds, slipping her a potion when they were busy. He lay a blanket over Nova's unconscious form, telling her mother and the doctor to get some rest and promising he'd watch over her. He stayed awake by her side all night long, waiting anxiously to see if she'd awake.

AS morning broke through the bedroom window, Sora felt his eyes grow heavy. He closed them for a minute, resting from the fatigue of worry. When he opened them, he found himself staring into two bright green eyes.

"Nova! You're okay!" he exclaimed in relief. She smiled weakly and tried to sit up. Sora tried to push her back down, but she fought until she was upright.

"I'm fine, really, I am," Nova protested. "But really, Sora, thank you. For saving me, and for being my friend. I still can't figure out how you did everything you did, but I'll always remember you, even if you are just a dream."

She grabbed something from her bedside table and pressed it into Sora's hand.

"Please, take this. To remember me by," she added, blushing. Sora looked at it; it was a small charm in the shape of an iridescent star with gold carvings of a constellation.

"The night I was born, my father had just discovered a new supernova, and just as they were naming me, a falling star shot through the constellation of Libra. My father, always the astronomer, decided on the name Nova Libra then." She turned to stare out of the window into the brightening morning. "New Justice. That's what it means in Latin. And for the fist time yesterday, I really felt as if I were living up to that. My mother had that charm made especially for me from that meteorite that fell, and now I'm giving it to you, Sora."

Sora started at this and tried to shove the charm back into Nova's hands, but she hid them under the sheets.

"Sora, you gave me something special, the feeling that I was actually doing something that mattered for a change. For once, my brains were put to a use past getting good grades in school. I want to give you something just as special. So take it already before I make your head explode with complicated math equations." She looked at him imperiously, and he gave up, both breaking down into giggles.

"Okay, you win. Thanks, Nova. For everything."

(Scene 6)

Rumor materialized in the gloom by a lakeside, his golden eyes searching for his master. She was by the water's edge, conjuring with her dark magic.

"So, did the Keyblade Master get my note, Rumor?"

The cat purred, and she smiled wickedly.

"Good, my love. Soon, he will not have as much of an advantage as he thought."

Her dark magic shot into the lake water, and she cackled softly to herself. Deep below the surface, something stirred, and two blood-red eyes stared up from the murky depths.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

(Scene 1)

Sora raced into the gummi ship and flung himself at the pilot's seat. He flopped down and spun in a circle, laughing. A beaming smile was plastered on his face as he giggled at Donald and Goofy's bewildered expressions.

"Ha, _ha! _Take that, Sashiro! Bring it on!" He spun the chair around again, only to jump up and grab hold of his two friends by the hands and begin dancing them around.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he exclaimed, digging in his pocket and pulling out the charm Nova had given him. It sparkled as it spun from his fingers. "Can't lose this! Gotta keep it close," and he suddenly quieted, thinking for a moment, then brightened almost immediately. Sora pulled the chain from around his waist and clipped the charm on it. It twinkled from his hips as the chain fell back in place.

"Sora, calm down," Donald said, rubbing his wrists. "It's only one shard. Who knows how many more there are?"

"Who knows, who cares?" Sora laughed as he rummaged around under the seat. "I'll get them all!"

He pulled the world map out and took Kairi's blue pendant from around his neck, whirling it around like a slingshot above the parchment. His blue eyes watched avidly to see where it would point, and it took a numbers of swings before it came to rest on a star.

"Ah, ha! Plot a new course, batton down the hatches, jump to lightspeed, and beam us up!"

"_HUH!"_ Donald stood staring open-mouthed at Sora while Goofy seemed to be searching for a dictionary. Sora merely laughed again and spun the wheel around to head for the new world.

"Oh, brave new world!" he shouted, and they rushed off once again to the unknown.

(Scene 2)

A blue sky blazed above the emerald green fields, and a distant bird call floated calmly on the gentle breeze. A lone knight in brilliant armor sat astride his steed, surveying all with a keen eye for trouble. As he watched, something streaked across the clouds. His eyes widened, and he turned the horse's head toward the thing now rocketing towards the ground. The knight hurriedly lifted his visor and shouted back behind him to a small company of squires and attendants.

"A strange beast is landing in the valley! Quickly, to arms!"

The company surged forward after their leader, who was gallantly waving his sword in the air as he charged ahead.

(Scene 3)

Sora pulled the wheel back and leveled out, the gummi grazing the top of the grass. It landed softly in a valley, and he eagerly hopped out. His companions soon followed, staggering slightly after the haphazard ride. Sora grabbed a yellow flower from around his knees playfully, and he smiled at the two.

"Come on, guys!"

Kairi's pendant glowed softly and was tugging against its chain ever so gently to the right. Sora walked along after it, humming happily and picking yellow flowers as he went. Donald shrugged at Goofy, who shrugged back, and they sauntered off behind him. Sora's song was a bright, quick little piece, and his head bobbed along as he walked.

"Hey, Sora?" Goofy asked from his shoulder.

"Yep."

"You never said what that last shard let you remember."

"Oh?" He continued humming his song, realizing he had no idea why it made him so happy or where he had heard it.

"So what did you remember?"

Only humming came in reply.

"Sora!"

The song stopped long enough for a tongue to poke out at Goofy impudently. Sora started to pick it back up, but stopped again, both Goofy and Donald smacking into his back.

"What are those?"

Ahead, two black shapes were winging towards him, an eerie screeching following them. As they closed in, Sora could see that they had leathery wings and ugly bodies that vaguely resembled women, though just barely. Their savage, toothy mouths opened, and both screeched again, making the hairs on Sora's neck stand on end.

"I have no idea, but they look kinda dangerous," Donald answered.

"You think?"

Sora had the Keyblade out in a flash, immediately snapping on the Ultima chain, gold and silver tracing down its length. He was in no mood to let those things get close.

"FIRE!"

Two giant fireballs shot out from the blade, streaking towards the creatures, but they swooped in mid-air, dodging them with uncanny agility. Sora was taken aback for a moment, then steadied himself. The Keyblade flicked forward, dancing before him in a flurry of motion, and a glowing light formed before him, weaving an intricate pattern he knew by memory.

"Ragnarok!"

The pattern shattered and flew in a hailstorm towards the creatures, pummeling into them, and they fell, shrieking, to the ground. There they lay still and quite unmistakably dead.

"All right!" Sora twirled the Keyblade around, then it vanished in a puff of sparkling light. He bent down and grabbed the bundle of yellow flowers from the ground where he had dropped them for the fight and turned to smile at his friends when he spotted a small group behind them on a hillside. The knight in the front of the party stood in open-mouthed awe, gaping first at Sora, then at the remains of the creatures, returning to stare once more at Sora.

"Sir Magician, that was incredible!" he called, riding his horse towards the three at a quick trot. His party followed suit, all exhibiting varying amounts of awe and wonder.

"Magician? Oh, no, I'm not a magician," Sora said, waving his hands before him, the flowers dropping a few petals to the ground.

"But sir, to beat two furies, you must be a sorcerer, and a great sorcerer at that," the knight replied. "To whom do you owe your allegiance?"

"To whoever needs my help, I suppose."

"Then, Sir Magician, may I lead you to my lord's castle?"

Sora glanced at Donald and Goofy, who shrugged their indifference. He thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I guess we'll need a place to stay for the night, thanks."

The knight bowed stiffly, creaking as he moved, and Sora was strongly reminded of the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz. At a wave of his metal hand, three squires in matching uniforms came up, each leading a fine steed and bowing before handing their reins over to each of Sora, Donald and Goofy. Donald looked questioningly at his mount, which was twice his height, and Goofy proceeded to stroke his own horse's velvety nose.

"I, Sir Brannon, shall be your escort through our lovely kingdom. May I be so privileged as to know the names of such great heroes who stand before me?"

Donald muttered in his ducky way to himself, obviously put off by the over-eager knight and ignored him as he pulled himself up into the saddle by the stirrup leathers. Goofy turned and beamed at the shining man.

"Gawrsh, of course! My name is Goofy, and that there is Donald," he then put a hand to the side of his mouth and whispered loudly, "but he's a little grumpy right now."

"Sir Goofy, Sir Donald," Brannon bowed to them and his party did the same. "And you, Sir Magician?"

"I'm Sora," and Sora stuck out his gloved hand, which Brannon stared at for a moment before shaking uneasily.

"Sir Sora, the Furyslayer!" he said and bowed low.

"Sir Sora, the Furyslayer!" his party mimicked, each bowing low as well. Soon, they were all set on their mounts and were riding off, Sora's face now flushed red. Brannon rode in the front and he had insisted that Sora ride alongside him, with Donald and Goofy behind him. Brannon prattled on constantly about his conquests and glories, giving Sora the distinct impression that his accounts were somewhat inflated and quite far from what had actually happened. In fact, Sora had come to the conclusion that Brannon had the same IQ as his armor. He let the man ramble on, lost in his own thoughts. His happy mood from earlier had worn off, leaving him feeling strangely empty, and he knew he was in trouble. Sashiro's words echoed in his ears; _The heart is affected by memories, yes, but even more so by emotion! The memories and emotions are linked; throw off their balance, disturb their frail structure within the heart and watch it shatter! I will show those fools the true way to conquer the heart; see for yourself, Keyblade Master, what happens when this balance is broken! _Sora knew that he was running out of time and that his earlier happiness had been a side effect of a breaking heart. He'd have to be careful now, and he'd have to be quick.

"And so I chopped off its head with one swift swipe of my trusty sword, thus saving the poor village from the dreadful monster."

"Uh, _huh._ Whatever you say."

Brannon faltered a bit in his speech, but continued on almost instantly.

"Ah, I cannot wait to see my beloved Juliana! She is the jewel of the castle, the sweetest, kindest, purest maiden in the land and my heart is hers forevermore."

"Let me guess," Sora drawled sarcastically, "she has fair skin, long flowing, golden hair, and blue eyes as bright as the morning sky, but your love is for naught because she is a princess and betrothed to another."

"You know my sweet Juliana! You truly are a magician, Sora Furyslayer!"

Sora's eyes widened in disbelief. Whether he disbelieved his ears or Brannon's stupidity, Sora couldn't tell. Maybe it was both.

"No, just a lucky guess. And don't call me Sora Furysl-" He stopped, spotting something in the trees as they rode through the small woods on the hills. He could have sworn he saw a young woman behind one of the oaks, wearing long, flowing white and grey clothes, with a long silver braid hanging down her front. But what had really caught Sora's eyes in that split second had been her own eyes; they were pure black, pupil-less and seemingly infinite in depths. Her expression seemed somewhat worried, and Sora turned to catch a second look. As he gazed back at the oak, his eyes widened even more. The girl wasn't there.

"What is it, Sir Sora?"

"Nothing. It's nothing," but he remained staring behind him in confusion for some moments more. Brannon looked back at the tree, then continued on as if nothing had happened.

"But you really must meet my sweet Juliana! Ah, she gives me the courage I need to carry on..." His voice went on in a constant hum, and he vigorously grabbed the bunch of yellow flowers Sora was still absently holding, gesticulating with them as he rambled on about Juliana's beauty and virtue, stopping only momentarily to smell the blooms. Sora tuned him out, turning to watch the little party. Goofy was chatting amiably with the nearby attendants and Donald was muttering angrily to himself, fighting his somewhat reluctant steed to go forward and not charging off into the forest. Sora settled in for the ride, sighing as they topped the hill, emerging from the wood and a castle rose into view a few rises over.

(Scene 4)

As the small procession wend its way finally towards the castle gates, Brannon ceased his incessant babbling about Juliana and began the involved process of gaining entry. The horses stepped through the cool stone battlements and pranced across the wooden drawbridge, hooves clicking in a steady rhythm. Donald yelled angrily as his mount nearly threw him into the moat, but Sora paid him no attention. Now that Brannon was busy, he checked the pendant. A steady blue glow was emanating from it, strong and persistent, an equally steady pull tugging forward. Tucking it back in his shirt, Sora glanced around at last, only to be interrupted again by Brannon.

"Come, Furyslayer; you and your companions must meet the king. Perhaps my dear Juliana will be there as well!"

The group dismounted and Brannon pushed Sora, Donald and Goofy through the great oaken front doors, steering them down myriad hallways and passageways.

"Don't call me that," Sora snarled through gritted teeth, but Brannon paid him no heed. Quite suddenly the four were in an enormous hall, which must have been the main chamber. The air smelled of pomp and pageantry, and through the rainbow of silk-clad footman and waiters strode three elegantly dressed royals.

"May I present," Brannon said in a hushed voice and dropping to one knee, "their majesties, the king and queen–"Sora, Goofy and Donald bowed deeply in response to their courteous nods, "and his eminence Drowen, Head of the Druid Church."

A robed man with long white hair nodded and shook hands with Sora, who wore quite a large grin on his face.

"So, you're like a druid pope, right?" He couldn't help it anymore; Sora burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the high-terraced ceiling and stained glass windows. The entire court was staring at him now, incredulous and wondering.

"Sora," Donald whispered as he tugged on his sleeve, "Sora, what's so funny?"

"Dr-druid...pope," Sora finally spat out, tears streaming from his eyes. "He's a druid pope! Get it? A druid.." He looked around at the silent assembly and flushed slightly. "No, of course not...private joke...between me and...me and her..." But try as he might, he could not remember why that was so funny. Sora straightened up and quickly composed himself.

"Sorry about that." He smiled weakly and waited out the uncomfortable silence. At last, the king spoke.

"Brave warrior, henceforth known as Sora Furyslayer–" Sora grit his teeth tight but said nothing, "we are in debt to you for ridding us of those evil creatures. Please allow us to help you in any way possible and grant us the honor of accepting our hospitality for the night."

"Uh, yeah...okay..." Sora mumbled, glancing at Donald and Goofy for help with all of the pomp and such. Donald got the hint first.

"Thank you, your majesty. We would be glad to take your gracious offer. Perhaps in the morning when we are rested, we can continue on with our journey with your best wishes."

"Yeah, what he said," Sora blurted, sighing in relief. He hated all this courtly stuff, but the king and queen seemed to understand and smiled at him, beckoning to a footman who began to lead them out. As the left the room, a gentle hand pulled Sora aside. He looked around and found himself face-to-face with a beautiful young woman. Flaxen blond hair fell to perfectly frame a fair face, bright blue eyes staring beseechingly into Sora's. He felt a warm flush creep into his cheeks.

"Ah, heh. You must be Juliana."

"Yes, I am, Sir Furyslayer. I pray you will allow me to ask a favor." She stared at Sora in that way women have, pitiful and puppy-like.

"Sure, anything," he answered all too quickly. Donald snickered off to his side, but Sora ignored him.

"It's Sir Brannon. He is driving me crazy! The man swoons after me, imagining some forbidden love. Truth be told, I think he is an addle-brained clod with no talent. The prince and I truly love each other, but he won't leave us alone. Please, Furyslayer, I am begging you; help him understand. He admires you so."

The exasperation she had shown in her tirade now returned to its pleading, puppy-eyed gaze.

"I'll see what I can do," he grinned, and she brightened immediately.

"Oh, thank you, Sir Furyslayer, thank you!"

Juliana swooped down and grabbed Sora into a tight hug, kissing him on the cheek as she did so. Beaming, the beautiful young woman swept off to join her equally handsome prince. Sora sighed once more, but with something far from relief. Donald snickered again.

"Well, she was awfully nice," Goofy said.

"Yeah, she really seems to like you, _Furyslayer,_" Donald laughed.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

The footman cowered as Sora lashed out, chasing Donald around and around the pillars for a minute before thwacking him on the back of the head. As the duck rubbed his new sore spot, the footman cautiously turned and began to lead them once more towards their rooms. After five flights of stairs and too many twists and turns to remember, the silk-clad boy bowed them to three doors and left.

"Well, guys, let's get some shut-eye. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day, I think."

"G-night, Sora," Goofy yawned.

Sora turned to Donald, who was still rubbing his head.

"Friends?"

Donald muttered, then smiled.

"Friends."

(Scene 5)

Sora awoke quite early in the morning, fully refreshed and eager to get underway. Each moment he waited, he could feel another tiny piece of his heart break away under the ever-raging flow of disconnected emotions. Each shard would tie his heart closer together, he knew, as the first shard had healed the pain a fraction, but would it be enough to save him? A heart can only repair so much damage in so little a time. _I must get them back, and soon, _Sora declared in his mind.

It was still too early for breakfast, so Sora turned to the stairs, intent on reaching the courtyard for a little battle training. He paused at the edge, however, completely nonplused. A gloved hand reached up to scratch at his tousle-haired head, and his face turned to a sour frown.

"Sir Furyslayer! May I be of assistance?"

Sora quickly grimaced to himself, then forced a smile at the attendant from last night.

"Yeah. Which way is it to the courtyards? I'd like to get some practice in before breakfast." His hand continued to scratch his head, congenially now. The boy bowed, smiling as well in understanding,

"Of course. Down five floors, take the first hallway to the left and then through the great oaken doors. There will be a cobbled path to take you to the training fields."

"Thanks!" Sora beamed, already starting down the stairs.

"Breakfast is in an hour!"

"Wouldn't miss it!"

"Do be careful, Sir Furyslayer!"

Sora turned and flashed a thumbs-up, nearly falling off the last stair, then, grinning, continued down in the wake of a very confused attendant, who stood, looking at his own thumb in confusion. Reaching the training fields with only having to backtrack twice, Sora flicked out the Keyblade, watching it glitter in the early morning sun. A deep breath to collect himself, and he was off, spinning around in a dance of death with invisible foes. His blue eyes were narrowed in deep concentration.

"Sora Furyslayer!"

"Whaaaaa-!"

Sora stopped the Keyblade an inch from Brannon's idiotic face, but could not stop his own momentum, and he toppled to the ground in a heap. He laid there for a moment, then picked himself up and brushed off.

"What?" he glowered, starting back into the last of his routine, trying to get back into rhythm while his heart beat thirty miles a minute.

"I thought I would practice this morning as well."

"Okay, you do that."

"I thought I would practice with you."

Sora stared at him from the corner of his eyes, almost daring him to try, but Brannon's look of pure enthusiasm and misplaced cockiness got the better of him.

"Alright, fine." Sora dropped the technique he had been running and crouched into an sparring position.

"I must warn you, Furyslayer; I shall not hold back just because I like you." Brannon drew his sword and flourished it grandiosely before dropping as well into his own slip-shod sparring position.

"Fine by me," Sora called. _Not like it matters anyway,_ Sora thought;_ he's completely useless with a sword._

Brannon stared at Sora for awhile; so intently, in fact, that he began to turn blue. _Did he forget to breathe? _Sora marveled. Then, without warning, Brannon yelled wildly at the top of his voice and rushed recklessly towards Sora, sword flailing as he ran. In one swift movement, Sora dodged behind him, bringing the Keyblade around and underneath his feet. Brannon toppled to the ground just as Sora had minutes before. His cheery voice came out muffled through the grass and earth.

"Good move, I would expect no less. But that was just a test of your strength!"

"Yeah, right," Sora muttered, helping the man to his feet. By this time, several of the castle's knights had gathered in the training field, either drawn by the prospect of seeing Sora in action or Brannon's wild yell. Seeing this, Brannon winked cheekily.

"Ah, but who am I to have you all to myself? I shall allow one of my colleagues to spar with you in my stead for now; I feel I may fight better _after_ a good meal. Here is a match for you, Furyslayer; after me, he is the strongest knight in the castle. May the best man win!" Brannon added as he walked away, waving broadly to a sturdy looking man who was openly snarling at him.

"En garde, Sir Furyslayer!" the man growled brusquely, bowing and taking a stance. Sora did the same.

"En garde."

The knight paused to consider Sora's stance, and Sora could tell he was experienced, well able to gauge any of his faults and find an opening. Sora raised his blade as if to strike, and the knight took the bait, attacking in an instant and coming forward. Sora dropped the bluff immediately and countered, throwing the man off balance, and the two began a furious exchange of blows. Slowly but surely, Sora's advantage grew, the knight eventually falling back to merely defending himself from the whirling blur of silver and gold that was the Keyblade. With one last great surge of effort, the knight counterattacked, beating Sora back for a brief while, but his strength failed him, and Sora soon had the advantage again. As the knight struck out, Sora caught his blade in the teeth of the key and flicked, spinning the sword from the knight's hand and sending it flying into the grass. He brought the Keyblade around behind the man, dealing a heavy blow to his back and knocking him to his knees.

"Touché,"the knight conceded. "Well done."

The other knights looked at each other in amazement, many applauding the exciting match. Sora's breath was ragged, and he helped the exhausted knight to his feet.

"Come on, it's almost breakfast, and I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

They both smiled tiredly at each other, but Sora felt Brannon approach behind them, and so braced himself for more stupidity. Then a thought occurred to him as the pendant tugged insistently again on his neck.

"Hey, Brannon? What's out there?" Sora pointed in the direction the charm was secretly tugging. The hare-brained knight followed his finger.

"A courtyard, Sir Furyslayer."

"_Don't call me that!_ I mean, past that."

"The castle wall, Sir Furyslayer," Brannon answered, as if this were the obvious answer. Sora clenched his fists and counted to ten.

"Beyond that. What would I run into if I traveled in that direction?"

"Oh. Well, you would go through a lot of grassland and hills, and eventually you will reach the forest-bound lake."

"Thanks. _Finally."_ Sora said, the last part muttered irritably under his breath.

As the knights filed into the feast hall for breakfast, Sora wound his way to Donald and Goofy. They sat down together on an empty bench relatively apart from the rest of the crowd, each with a fully loaded plate of food. Sora leaned in towards the others.

"So here's the plan; we leave as soon as possible, like right after we finish eating. The pendant is pulling me north, and Brannon says it's all foothills and grasslands until we get to a forest-bound lake. I'm betting the shard's there. Sound good?"

"You're leaving us so soon!"

"Oh, _no_," Sora groaned. Brannon had approached from behind and was now leaning over them like a mother hen.

"If you are intending on going to the Great Forest Lake, then you must allow me to accompany you. There are many dangers out there and you will need a sturdy heart like mine."

"Thank you, Brannon, but _leave us alone._ This is my battle, and I don't need anyone else involved. Stay here, please."

"But-"

"Promise me, Brannon."

"I'll stay if you wish it, Sir Furyslayer," he sighed dejectedly.

"Good," Sora replied, though softer this time, the knight's sad, rejected expression melting him slightly. When Brannon had left, he turned back to his friends.

"I'm sorry, but he's useless with a sword, and against Sashiro, he's as good as dead. And we'll meet her today; I know we will." His eyes narrowed dangerously, and the two companions nodded silently in acknowledgment. The three ate in silence as well, mentally preparing themselves. As they left, Sora approached the high table, bowing low to the royals before him.

"We thank you for your hospitality, your majesties, but we must be going. I am on an urgent mission and time is of the essence. Perhaps in the future we may again enjoy each other's company, but for now, we must take leave."

"Well, you've improved," Donald muttered to Sora, who winked quickly at him. The king and the queen both nodded and smiled benignly, but Juliana rose.

"Sir Furyslayer, I wish you luck on your journey. Please, be careful."

"I will, princess, thank you," Sora assured her, a pink tinge rising once more to his cheeks. He bowed again and the three left the hall, attendants already scurrying to bring them horses from the stables.

"Yes, we must be ever so careful, _Furyslayer,_" Donald jibed.

"You wanna get smacked again?" Sora spat.

They stepped from the hall and into the entryway, three horses being led towards the gates, fully saddled and provisioned. Sora jumped up onto a sturdy buckskin, Goofy straddled a lanky-looking white mare, and Donald again was hoisted onto the irritable mustang from the day before. They each eyed each other with animosity as the duck plunked down onto the saddle.

"Come on, let's go." Sora pulled his pendant out to hang openly on his chest, and he started the buckskin off to the northern hills and Sashiro. Goofy followed after, his mare walking with the same amiable, strolling gait as he would, and Donald began muttering a long string of what Sora assumed to be swear words at the mustang before finally achieving a grudging walk. Sora's deep blue eyes gazed up at the morning sun, marking its position in the sky. Time was ticking, and Sashiro was waiting.

(Scene 6)

In the darkness of the forest lake, Sashiro watched the surface of the water, completely smooth and undisturbed.

"He comes closer, Rumor, my dear."

Her hand, pale as death, stroked the ebony fur of the purring panther, and her crimson lips cracked into a wicked smile.

"He comes closer, and my trap grows more deadly. Who do you think will win this round?"

The cat purred affectionately at her, rubbing into her palm, and she cackled.

"Yes, I agree. Let us retire to a more hidden spot."

The shadowy duo rose and faded into the blackness in the dense trees to watch and to wait.

(Scene 7)

Sora's sapphire eyes marked the sun again, its glowing form now low in the west to his right. The pendant was now shining with an unmatched intensity, pulling him towards the thicket of woods before him as if magnetically drawn there. Something evil lurked in those trees around the lake, Sora could sense it. Even the horses could feel it, for they were all three silent and Donald's feisty mustang stood quiet at the edge. Dismounting, the companions continued along on foot, wary of sudden attack and keeping a keen eye for a glimpse of the stray shard. Through the murky shadows of the thicket they traveled, and quite soon reached the edge of a large, dark lake.

"Let's spread out," Sora suggested.

"Mm-hmm," both agreed.

They searched along the edges of the wood, under roots and inside gullies, everywhere, high and low. Sora dejectedly leaned against a tree, unsure of where to search next. His gaze wandered the clearing and across the lake's surface, then he started. There was a girl at the banks. No, not just a girl; the silver-haired girl from before. She stood in the water, though her feet seemed completely dry, and when he looked directly at the girl, Sora almost thought he could see the trees through her body. Her pure black eyes looked straight at his, her face completely blank, yet somehow urging as well. She seemed to be trying to tell him something. One graceful, olive-tan hand gestured at the inky surface of the lake, and she gazed at him once more. Sora blinked for a few moments, and then it hit him. _The shard is in the lake!_ He looked up to thank the girl, but she was gone just as suddenly as the day before. He blinked again in surprise, then rushed to the water's edge.

"I know where it is! The shard's in the lake!"

Donald and Goofy rushed over to his side, peering with him into its depths.

"I don't know, looks pretty deep," Donald mused.

"Yeah, and I can't hold my breath too long," Sora sighed.

"I could just turn you into a merman like at Atlantica..." Donald suggested.

"No, that spell would take too long, we're about to lose the daylight, and I can't search in the dark. Maybe if I modified... and tweaked..." Sora began muttering a bit to himself, his brow furrowed in thought. Then he flicked out the Keyblade and thrust it into the air above him.

"Aeroga!"

The air around Sora immediately whirled into a frenzy, swirling up to encompass his head in an air pocket. Sora breathed tentatively, then a bit more freely in the vortex around him. He removed his shoes and waded in waist-deep.

"You two stay here and keep a watch for Sashiro or that stupid cat."

Donald and Goofy nodded, both wearing an expression of worry.

"I hope this works, Sora," Goofy called.

"Me, too," he admitted to himself, then turned to give a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Here goes nothing!"

Sora dove into the water, feeling the icy sting surround his body, but the modified spell seemed to be doing its job; he could breathe, but the spell would run out soon. He'd have to be quick. Diving down further, all Sora could see was hazy, backlit water and a few small fish swimming away in fear. In less than a minute, the aeroga began to wear down, small droplets dripping down onto his face. Sora cast it again and continued down.

He easily reached the sandy floor, skimming inches above the grimy grit and pebbles. A large outcropping of craggy rocks rose from the sand, and there, nestled in a small nook, glimmered his prize; a memory shard the size of his fist. Sora reached eagerly out for it, kicking his feet to get nearer, but something black loomed out at his side. He turned to look, then wheeled backwards in alarm, a large stream of bubbles rising from his mouth in a strangled yell of surprise. A giant, squid-like creature was pulling itself from a crevice in the rock, multiple long, black tentacles snaking out and around the boulders and towards Sora. The aeroga began to fail again as a tentacle reached out for Sora's leg, and he kicked hard against the lake bed, jetting up and out of reach to the surface. The kraken rose up as well, seemingly filling up half the lake with its monstrous body, gleaming red eyes glinting after its prey. Sora rocketed upwards with the arms closing in.

(Scene 8)

Donald and Goofy watched the surface of the lake with concern, their eyes constantly flicking out to the outlying trees as well, on the lookout for trouble.

"Goofy, do you see that?"

He nodded silently, and both pulled their weapons into position. They turned to face the woods behind them just as a shadow burst from the foliage.

"AHA! It's that woman's panther! Get it!"

Just then, Sora's head broke surface, gasping for air and wild-eyed. The feline leapt between the two and the edge of the lake, snarling and baring its teeth. Its tail flicked back and forth in furious anticipation, and the showdown began in silence. A loud splash echoed, and Sora was gone.

"Ah! Sora!" Goofy cried. Sora reemerged, spluttering, with a long black tentacle wrapped around his neck. He struggled against it, fighting to bring the Keyblade into a position to free himself. The sound of thundering hooves caught all's attention, even the panther's. A bright white stallion came charging through the forest, a gleaming silver knight astride it. The horse reared, and the man called out.

"Sir Furyslayer, I am here to save you!"

"Brannon!" Sora gasped through a mouthful of lake water. "Get out of here!" He managed to bring the Keyblade to bear and slash the arm from around his neck. Hastily, Sora cast aeroga again, and he felt his strength falter. The constant spell casting was draining him; he could only cast a few more before he would be completely empty. Two more arms shot out towards him, and Sora dove for the shard, slashing out at the creature's tendrils as they neared him.

"Do not fear, Sir Brannon to the rescue!"

Brannon clambered off his steed, clumsily charging the black cat who was now locked in a blazing battle with Donald and Goofy. The foolish knight swung his blade crazily at the beast, somehow miraculously slashing its shining fur and leaving a large, bloody gash along its side. The panther roared in pain and anger, whirling around to face Brannon. One giant paw swept out and struck him, knocking him in the lake and the waiting arms of the kraken. Brannon was quickly dragged under.

Sora was locked in combat as well, striking what seemed like a thousand tentacles, alternately defending himself and keeping the creature from grabbing the shard for itself. He was running out of strength, and he had only one last aeroga left in him. Sora swam as hard as he could toward the nook where the shard glittered, a pinprick of light in the murky depths. The tendrils continued to shoot out after him, and he fought desperately against them. One gigantic arm knocked into him, causing Sora to spin in the water, and he caught sight of Brannon. The knight was caught tight in the tentacles, two of them prying the man from his now crumpled silver armor as if opening a tin can. The arms began to drag him towards the creature's massive body, and Brannon was already weak from lack of air. Sora watched in horror as he neared the kraken's gaping mouth, its red eyes blazing hungrily. Sora cast his last aeroga, his mind reeling. Another arm closed in on the memory shard, and Sora's blood froze.

He had to choose, each arm was a second away from its destination; he had only air enough to save one or the other, Brannon or the memory shard. As his last spell wore off and he took a deep, shuttering breath, his instincts drove him towards the shard, reaching out with his hand to grasp the crystal. But at the last second, his conscience got the best of him, and he swung around and struck the arm holding Brannon, freeing his limp form to sink to the floor.

Sora grabbed the man's body in his arms, and he could only watch as the kraken's long tentacles grasped the shard tightly, pulling it far beyond his reach. Grief flooded his body, and his heart burned again at the thought of losing his memory. He kicked up towards the surface, dragging Brannon with him. As he climbed onto the shore, he practically flung the knight to the ground in anger.

"Sora!"

Donald called out as the panther attacked him again, and Sora turned, blue eyes blazing now. The Keyblade glinted dangerously in the evening sun, and he strode towards them, his body radiating power and rage.

"Come to me, Rumor, my sweet."

Sora stopped dead, and the lithe form of the Crimson Sorceress emerged from the shadows of the forest. Her white face wore a self-satisfied smile, and her grey eyes shone with malice as she surveyed Sora's dripping, soggy body. The panther padded to her side, purring and rubbing into her knees, though limping heavily from its wound.

"Ah, the hero's reward is fitting indeed," Sashiro crowed, motioning at Brannon's crumpled form. Her scarlet lips grinned wider, and she extended her pale hand toward the lake. The surface rippled, and the kraken's enormous black body rose from the water, one arm reaching out and gliding forward to her hand, the memory shard clutched tight. Sashiro took the shard carefully, enveloping it in chains of her dark magic, flicking it out of sight.

"I believe the score is now two to two, Keyblade Master."

Sashiro cackled softly, beginning to fade into the blackness of the forest, the golden sun flaming in the western sky behind the trio. Sora's rage bubbled over, and he yelled out, a wild animal call from the depths of his soul. He hurled the Keyblade with all his might, and it went spinning towards Sashiro, but she merely laughed again, disappearing into the shadows as it reached her. The blade boomeranged back and Sora caught it deftly, breathing heavily in anger. He stormed over to Brannon, who was now kneeling on the banks of the lake, weak and gasping for air.

"You!" Sora screamed. The Keyblade swung out in a blur, stopping dead on the terrified knight's exposed throat, the edge pushing in on his flesh.

"This is your fault! I told you to stay! Now I've lost the shard!"

Sora was yelling in the man's face, he was losing control, the untied emotions boiling over and breaking down the walls of his heart, but he didn't care at the moment. He pushed the Keyblade harder into Brannon's throat.

"Do you understand what you've done? This was not just some mission, that was not just some treasure! Those were my memories! _Those were my soul!"_

His face was an inch from Brannon's, and the knight turned pale with fear.

"Forgive me, Furyslayer. I only wished to help!" He was stammering, gasping out the words with difficulty. "I had to warn you of the kraken. I thought only to save you. I am truly sorry!"

Brannon gazed at Sora, his own pale green eyes begging for mercy. The rage left Sora, and he lowered the Keyblade. He fell to his knees as well, his grief now flooding through him again. Tears fell silently down his cheeks, and he sat there a moment, lost in his thoughts. After a minute that seemed like eternity, Sora rose, helping Brannon to his feet as well.

"Come on, there's nothing more we can do here."

He walked back to the horses, jumping up onto his buckskin and heading off towards the castle without any further words. The other three followed, forlorn and wary of their friend.

(Scene 9)

The small, sad procession reached the castle gates in the dark, the guards watching with questioning eyes but receiving no answer. The four entered the great hall, and all heads turned towards them.

"Sir Furyslayer! Are you alright?"

Juliana came rushing to Sora's side, worry clearly mirrored on her face. Brannon caught her arm.

"We are fine, but I have caused him to lose something very dear, and for that I am deeply sorry. Can either of you ever forgive me? Juliana, my love, can you ever overlook my mistake?"

He took her hand in his, and she pulled back.

"Brannon, let it go," Sora sighed.

"What?"

"Let it go. She doesn't love you. Just look at her face."

Brannon stared at Juliana, wide-eyed with shock.

"But-"

"Brannon, let it go."

Sora walked away, stopping at the edge of the stairs. He turned to the high table and bowed.

"Your majesties, I beg of you the hospitality of one last night's stay. After that, I must leave, unsuccessful as I am. I bid you good-night."

With that, he headed up the stairs, arms hanging morosely at his sides. Donald and Goofy went after him, catching up by his guestroom door.

"Sora..." Goofy started.

"Please, not now," Sora murmured. His eyes gazed out at them as if from a distance, and both knew what he needed was to be alone. One hand reached up and pushed the door open, the other grasping the pendant tight in a fist. He paused as someone else came around the corner. It was Brannon, and he approached Sora tentatively.

"Sir Furyslayer-"

"Don't call me that."

"Sir - I mean, Sora..." He dropped to his knees at Sora's feet. "I sincerely apologize for your loss. I caused your failure, and am in your debt." He removed a ring from his finger and held it out in his open palms.

"I give this to you, the knight's signet, as a symbol of my debt. If ever you need my services, I shall fulfill it to the best of my abilities. Once again, I am truly sorry."

He cast his eyes down as Sora took the ring and thread it on the chain next to Nova's charm. A gloved hand reached down and grasped Brannon's own.

"I forgive you, Brannon, and accept your token." He smiled wanly and tiredly.

"Friends?"

Brannon smiled weakly as well.

"Friends."

"Then good-night, you three."

Sora walked into his room, closing the door on them, and another small tear fell down his cheek.

(Scene 10)

Sashiro walked through her own great hall, the dank air reeking of her evil. From her tattered crimson robes she withdrew her latest treasure, watching it sparkle and gleam behind its magical bounds.

"Yes, you are mine now, never to see the depths of the Keyblade Master's heart again. Come, join your friend, as all the others are bound to do."

She spoke softly to the shard, but her voice nonetheless echoed around as if she had screamed the words. The shard glowed brighter in response the great hunk of crystal the sorceress already possessed, and the chains of dark magic bound the two pieces together, locked side by side in a glimmering mass.

"Come, Rumor, my pet. There is no time to revel in our victory. We must make use of what little advantage we have gained."

The Crimson Sorceress and the large black panther floated off to unknown parts of the castle to plot their next attack. The memory shards dimmed, almost as if in response to the Keyblade Master's sorrow.

Author's note

Hey, Evil Midget Turtle here, but call me Kame-chan. Sorry for the wait, being sick really sucks. I promise, chapter 5 won't take as long to get out. As this is my first author's note, I'll tell you some extra stuff.

I hope it shows, but I try really hard to keep Sora, Donald and Goofy true to their characters from the game. I also remain adamant on using all OC's (with the obvious exceptions). I feel that way I can truly be creative, and I am not restricted as much. Oh, and I know, I played the game for the third time again recently, and discovered that my memory had played a trick on me. I concede that Kairi's pendant is not blue, but a white-pink. As I don't feel like fixing past chapters, I will fix this in the next chapters. But a guy wearing something that glows pink? I don't think so; it will continue to glow blue, to save Sora's credibility as a man.

In case it isn't clear, the memory shard Sora received from Nova gave him the intangible things; i.e. private jokes, favorite songs, etc. I like to think that the song, which is supposed to be one Sora and Kairi sang together, was " Simple and Clean", but maybe I'm just weird. Oh, and the "Druid Pope" thing is actually an inside joke between me and my _best _friend Chi-kun! So if you didn't get it, don't worry!

I hope you guys like this story, it's a long way from being over! Sorry to leave you on such a sour note, but real life isn't always perfect. I apologize for the lack of visual aides, but I've never been good at drawing characters from my head, just what I can look at. The original character drawings are Chi-kun's forte, and by that I mean they are GREAT. I love them. In fact, in the next chapter, you'll get to meet some of her characters, and one that is really close to my own heart. Who are these wonderful people? You'll just have to wait and find out. See you in chapter 5!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, it's finally here, Chapter 5. I really really apologize. I was sick, sick again, had loads of make-up work in school due to the sickness, sick _again_, more make-up work, and then all my creative juices were tapped. But now the juices are flowing and don't want to stop. In fact, I added a special extra at the end for all my readers!

This chapter takes place in world created by a Role-playing board my friend and I used to be on before it died. Accordingly, I mention other people's characters and feel compelled to give them credit. Let's see, Soria belongs to 'soria', Faye and related characters belong to 'morbid,' aka Coughdrop Overdose, and passing mentions go to 'truthsayer,' 'sir fable,' 'alec,' and 'divinepilgrim.' Shara is my own creation, and thus is quite close to my heart.

Enjoy!

_

* * *

__Chapter 5_

(Scene 1)

Sora sat in the gummi ship, his eyes downcast and his face drawn out in a frown. He had not said a word since their departure from the castle, only stared at a spot on the floor. His gloom-laden mood spread across the ship, making Donald and Goofy shift uncomfortable. Goofy looked at Sora with a worried sigh, and opened his mouth to speak. Donald shook his head obliquely, and he shut it quickly, but as Goofy looked again at his friend, he set his face and went ahead anyway.

"Sora, you can't quit now. That's what Sashiro would want you to do!"

Goofy shut his eyes tightly and steeled himself against the expected wave of Sora's wrath. It never came. Sora remained silent, but Goofy knew he was listening because those blue eyes were turned in his direction. Goofy forged ahead.

"You've got to keep going and stop sulking! Get out there and get the rest of your memories! Show her just how strong your heart really is!"

Sora sat still for a moment longer, them smiled sadly. He spoke softly as he pulled the world map out, the gloom still lingering in his voice.

"You're right, I've got to keep searching. I guess I just needed a smack on the face."

He smoothed the map before him and gently pulled the pendant over his head to swing it around in an arc. It circled around, finally stopping to point towards a world labeled in curly script: Shizuka.

"Come on, let's go," Sora said, reaching for the wheel.

"Oh, no, you don't. Distraught drivers are hazardous to my health. _I'll drive._"

Donald grabbed the wheel before Sora could touch it, and the gummi began to cut a new course towards Shizuka.

(Scene 2)

A young woman stared out into the endless black of the Shizukan night, searching silently for the cause of her uneasiness. Her long red hair blew around in the breeze, and she swept out of her face as she leaned on the railing of the balcony. Another young woman joined her, walking up to lean as well on the railing.

"Are you alright, Shara? You have been up here for quite a while."

The redhead turned her eyes to her friend.

"Yes, I'm fine, Faye." She fell silent for a moment, once again gazing out at the stars. "But it is strange. I can feel darkness creeping near us, not unlike those of Chaos. And I sense a light, strong and pure, much like my own. I have never felt another light before, and it is strange to me. The light, whatever–or indeed, whoever–it is, is close tonight."

The two friends stood on the balcony, the lamps in the window of the inn behind them winking out one by one. A breeze blew again through their hair as both stared out into the velvety blackness of the night sky.

(Scene 3)

The gummi touched down in the late hours of the day, the light long gone. Its three passengers stepped out, and a tousle-haired teen pulled a charm from inside his shirt, and it glowed a soft blue against the black of the night. He began to walk into the woods and his friends trailed after.

"Sora, it's late and it's dark. What are you doing?" Donald asked from behind him. Sora ignored him, following the tug of his pendant, and Donald huffed in indignation. Goofy tried his luck.

"He's right, you know. Searching is a lot easier after a good night's sleep."

"Goofy, you said it yourself. I've got to keep going, got to find my memories, show Sashiro that I won't give up."

"But, Sora-" Goofy stopped as he looked into Sora's determined face, and he began to follow silently once again, shrugging helplessly at Donald. They trudged through the dark forest, and shadows flit through the trees teasingly at the edges of their vision. Sora flicked out the Keyblade, his sixth sense tingling, and he snapped on the Ultima charm. Sure enough, one of the Crimson Sorceress' monsters, one larger than any they had seen yet, loomed out of the gloom before the three.

In an instant, long tentacles waved in the air, striking out at them fast as lightning. Sora raised the Keyblade in time to block the heavy blow aimed at him, but from the muffled thuds that came from behind him, Sora knew Donald and Goofy had been knocked out instantly. He struck out at the tentacles, parrying quick strikes from the creature, but he soon became entangled, his weapon locked against two writhing arms. Sora pushed against them, trying to free the Keyblade when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked down to see a large barb sticking out of him, shot from some appendage of the shadow thing. The tentacles had been a distraction, Sora realized as he felt the poison seep through his body.

Within moment, Sora's knees gave way, his body collapsing to lay motionless on the ground. He was still conscious, and he watched through a blurry haze as the creature's long tentacles searched his body for something, he presumed it was looking for a memory shard. When it found nothing, the arms reached out cautiously towards his pendant, which still glowed brightly blue. The tip of the arm touched the charm, and it blazed glaringly against the dark, the thing shrieking in pain and withdrawing. Sora watched blearily as it ambled off into the night, but with every beat of his racing heart the poison coursed further through his veins. The poison finally reached his brain, and he succumbed to the oppressive darkness around him.

(Scene 4)

Sora's eyes fluttered open, his vision still blurred. He dimly heard a soft voice in his ear, and he recognized the shape of a pale woman's hand brushing the hair from his face. The hand pulled against a background of red robes, and his startled blue eyes looked up into amber cat ones.

_Oh, no! Sashiro! _He thought. Sora struggled against the woman, the Keyblade flashing to life in his hand, and she stepped back in alarm. He stood, amazed at how quickly he had regained his strength, and as he gave his full attention to the figure before him, Sora realized that, instead of Sashiro and her panther, she was a girl a few years older than he was. She had long, flaming red hair and fair skin. Over her petite frame draped a simple red cotton dress, flared at the sleeves with a modest scoop neck. Around her neck hung two necklaces; one, a simple affair with a black bat pendant, which seemed out of place, and one an intricately crafted piece of gems and gold tracings, strung on a spider's-silk of a gold chain. Her large, amber, cat-like eyes gazed worriedly at Sora from her spot just outside of the Keyblade's reach.

"Sora, you're okay!"

Sora started when he heard his friend's voice, and he looked around for Donald and Goofy. He spotted them to his right, waving happily at him from beside another girl the same age as the redhead. She had a many-layered dress beneath a corset, with long gloves on each hand and a string of flowers around her neck Sora recognized to be hellebore, nightshade, hemlock and aconite. Her hair was short and black with a large streak of shock blonde, and her eyes were mismatched colors, the right wine-colored, the left a milky orange. Everything she wore was dark, and her expression clearly mirrored boredom. Black succubus wings peeked out from behind her, causing Sora to stare involuntarily.

"What the-" he blurted out, quickly changing his question to "What happened? The last thing I remember, that shadow creature hit me with..." he glanced down at his shoulder, but the wound was gone, a small puncture in his shirt the only evidence it had ever existed. He stared incredulously at his shoulder.

"I found you. Your friends were still unconscious, and you were in bad condition. I revived those two quite easily, but the poison had done a lot of damage to you. It took a while, but my magic eventually reversed the effects, as you are now aware."

It was the red-haired girl who addressed him, and Sora now turned to stare at her.

"Magic? What did you do? Who are you?" The words spilled out of his mouth, his brain still trying to process all he had heard.

"Oh, yes, please forgive me. My name is Shara Lumenos," she bowed gracefully, " and my friend is Faye Lydia Shinoaki XIII."

"Call me Faye," her companion said, blinking slowly and nodding in acknowledgment.

"I presume from your friend's outburst that you are Sora, and I have already met your companions. As for magic, yes, I do wield a magic of my own; more precisely, I control the element of light through my singing. One of my powers is to heal others, and I used this power to help you."

Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement with her, Faye still looking glumly bored beside them.

"Then I guess I owe you a 'thank-you,' Shara."

She smiled gently at this, bowing her head in response and her red hair swept down into her face. She tucked it back behind her ear.

"Do not thank me. It's nothing I would not have done for anyone else." Her cat-like eyes moved from Sora's face to the star-flecked sky, now lightening along the edge of the horizon. "Come, it is nearly daybreak and I am sure you have not slept tonight. Faye and I will take you to the inn."

Shara turned and headed off, motioning for the companions to follow her, Faye already rising to join her. Sora raised his hands in protest.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. You've already done so much; I don't want to impose-"

"It's alright. We don't mind. It's been a while since we last had visitors."

Shara continued on, leading the way with Faye at her back. As Sora turned to follow, he realized that the soles of Faye's shoes had metal spikes protruding from them. He gawked in surprise, and her mismatched eyes fell on him with a hint of disdain.

"For someone so polite, you are quite adept in the art of staring."

"You must admit, though, Faye," Shara said, smiling broadly, "that there are many strange things about you. Like your choice in hair accessories."

"Excuse me! Are you calling me strange?"

Shara laughed as a male voice came from Faye. Sora started as he realized that the voice came not from Faye, but from her hair clip, or more precisely, from the skull on the hair clip. He ogled, and Faye frowned irritably as the clip continued.

"Must you insist on being so happy this early in the morning?"

Shara laughed again, and the group walked on in silence, the woods thinning as they went. Fatigue caught up with Sora and he yawned tremendously, placing his hands behind his head as he traveled. As the black of night faded into the grey of dawn, the two girls spoke quietly, a large city coming into view before them.

"You really enjoy helping others, do you not?" Faye glanced back at the three exhausted figures behind them, Shara nodding in answer.

"Grim says to stop. You keep saving the souls she is trying to collect."

"Well, you can tell Ms. Reaper that if she really wanted them, you and I both know there would be nothing I could do to stop her."

Shara grinned, and even Faye's face cracked into a smirk. The girls turned down a path, walking through a garden to a large, three-story, homey-looking building. They stepped into a reception area, leading Sora, Donald and Goofy into a the warm glow of lamplight.

"Welcome to the Rosuto Kiryo Inn," Shara said as Faye scribbled something on the register. "Faye is co-owner, and I'm, well, what am I, Faye?"

"Do you mean besides a live-in moocher?" she muttered irritably as she searched for empty rooms.

"Ha, ha. Let's just say I help when help is needed. The other owner is Soria. Soria!" Shara shouted down a hallway to a balcony. "Soria, we've got new guests!"

A yelp came from the balcony and a girl toppled into view. Sora caught glimpses of cat ears and a tail before she landed in a heap on the floor. A thud reached his ears soon after.

"_Ooh_," Shara flinched. Sora looked worriedly down the hall, but Faye merely sighed.

"Not again..."

"Silly little klutz, I'm glad you don't fall over that much, Lovey," said the hair clip sleepily.

"Oh, hush, Lucien," Shara reprimanded. "Soria, are you alright?" she called down the hall. The heap disappeared as the cat-girl rose and she yelled cheerfully back.

"I'm okay!"

Sounds of movement followed, and then another crash broke the early morning silence. Shara flinched again, Faye rolled her eyes and Lucien laughed from his high perch.

"Still okay!"

"Come on," Faye said, starting down the hallway once more and turning onto a staircase."I believe there are some available rooms on the second floor."

Sora, Donald and Goofy followed her up, the girls opening three rooms and inviting them in. Shara smiled gently as she dimmed the oil lamp in Sora's room.

"The washroom is down the hall to the left. Breakfast will most likely be ready by the time you wake up." She motioned towards the bed, bowing slightly. "Sleep well, Sora. Oh, and," she mimicked Soria's high-pitched voice, acting as though she were reciting the rule book, "thank you for staying at Rusoto Kiryo Inn. Please enjoy your stay and come back soon!"

Sora laughed and she giggled as well as she softly shut his door. Sora yawned and stretched, the bed looking more inviting by the second. He kicked off his shoes and flopped down, fully clothed, to lay between the sheets. Within moments, he was sleeping soundly in the darkness.

(Scene 5)

Sora awoke to the sound of birdsong, a beam of sunlight shining cheerfully through his window. He rose, stretching and yawning, to put his shoes back on and to begin his morning routine. The room was a bit small, but that would only make his warm-up all the more challenging today. He brought out the Keyblade, instantly pulling it into position, striking out and just as suddenly spinning it back into a guard. It went on in this vein, the blade whistling lethally through the air, his movement silent and deadly.

Eventually, a knock came on his door. Sora ignored it, and the knock was repeated. A short silence followed, then his door opened slowly. Amber cat-like eyes peered cautiously in, followed soon after by the rest of Shara's willowy form. She shut the door quietly behind her.

"Good morning, Sora," she said in her soft, gentle voice. "Breakfast is ready downstairs when you are done."

She stood by the door, watching interestedly as Sora continued his workout, the tantalizing scent of home-made food drifting over to him from her clothes. Her eyes followed the rapidly moving weapon as it traced patterns before her.

"So, just exactly how good are you with that thing?" Shara asked teasingly, though she was clearly impressed. Sora said nothing, only smirked mischievously. The Keyblade flicked up to snag her jeweled pendant. With a twitch, the pendant was over her head and dangling from the blade. He continued on with the end of his workout, juggling the charm as he went, tossing the necklace in the air and catching it, sliding it down the length of the blade and then spinning it back up. As he moved into the last flourishes, the pendant played along the teeth of the Keyblade, then Sora struck out at Shara, stopping an inch from her widened eyes.

"_That_ good," he laughed, tipping the blade to hang the charm back around her neck. Shara smiled.

"I stand humbly before you in awe."

The two walked down the stairs, Sora's stomach growling in anticipation of his first real meal in a long time. As he approached the table, however, he became quickly aware that not everyone shared his good mood. Donald and Faye were looking daggers at each other, both sitting with arms tightly folded, Faye wearing a silver mask over her mouth. Sora gazed perplexedly from one to the other, but Shara sighed and addressed the hair clip.

"What happened, Lucien?"

Lucien laughed from atop the girl's head.

"Oh, you'll never guess! Ducky over there said Lovey would look good in pink! If you ask me, putting on a mask of silence to keep in those rude comments is just as rude as saying them, Lovey!"

He continued laughing as Shara sighed.

"Faye, you must remove that mask if you hope to eat this morning."

Faye frowned at her, but nevertheless reached up to untie the strings. Shara and Sora took seats at the table, Sora gazing at Donald and mouthing, _Pink? _with clear incredulity. Donald shrugged and they began eating. As the food rapidly disappeared from their plates, Shara watched silently, thinking to herself. She went to clean up when they had stuffed themselves.

"Wow, that was great," Sora said. "Who cooked it?"

"Soria did," Shara answered from the kitchen. "She'll be glad to hear you liked it, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait to tell her; I believe she's upstairs cleaning again." Her amber eyes flicked upwards for a brief moment, then returned to gaze at Sora and his friends.

"So, what brings you to Shizuka? I saw you tracking something through the woods; are you looking for something?"

Sora looked up, somewhat startled.

"Uh, yeah, we are looking for something. You haven't seen anything like a shooting star lately, have you?"

Shara shook her head slowly.

"No, I'm afraid not. Why do you ask?"

"I just thought...well, I'm looking for," he hesitated here, wondering if she would understand, "for my memories. They were scattered in...in a fight." He played with the pendant on his neck as he trailed off. Shara watched, understanding completely, then glanced at Faye, who nodded.

"I think we may be able to help you then."

Sora's eyes brightened immediately.

"Really? How?"

Shara gazed steadily at him, speaking confidently and directly to him, as if he was the only one listening.

"Recently, I felt a great light fall here, followed by an intense darkness. The night I found you, I felt an even stronger light, your light, and it is one like I have never felt before. I understand now what that first light was; your memory. Something so pure must be returned to your heart. If you believe, as I do, that you are strong enough of heart, the Mirror Pool can show you the way. But I must warn you, there is a price."

Sora stared, then grinned.

"Of course I'm strong enough! Let's go, right now!"

(Scene 6)

A black silhouette moved silently through the trees, slinking through the undergrowth like a whisper. It bounded down a hill and into a small, darkened clearing where the Crimson Sorceress waited. The shadow thing approached, bowing low to its master, stopping at her feet and carefully watching the swishing tail of her panther.

"Ah, yes. What news do you have of the Keyblade Master?" Sashiro drawled lazily. The shadow twitched its antennae and chittered madly. The Sorceress seemed to understand him perfectly.

"How delightful. He makes this far too easy for us, Rumor, my love. Heros are a decidedly predictable bunch. Try as they might, there are some things that they cannot change."

Her scarlet lips shone eerily in the half-light of the woods as she smirked cruelly, her hands waving to summon a dozen more shadow beings.

"Prepare the trap. The Keyblade Master will play right into our hands this time; he won't have a choice!"

The creatures moved off, fading into the surrounding blackness as Sashiro sat back to revel in her scheme.

(Scene 7)

The little group moved off down the road, passing through the large town, attracting very little notice. Sora was at first confused by this, but he soon realized that they fit right in. By the time they reached the edge of the woods, Sora had seen a winged boy carrying a 10-foot hammer, a dangerous-looking man who somehow reminded him of Cloud, and what he strongly suspected was a vampire glaring out through a shop window.

They traveled along the same road that the girls had brought them down the night before, though now it was lit, Sora, Donald and Goofy could see it for all its true beauty. They passed an old manor, and Shara gazed off at it absently until she caught Sora watching her. She blushed slightly, quickening her steps in an attempt to hide her discomfort. After half an hour of walking, they rested in the shade of the great oaks and cedars of the forest.

"So, what kind of price will I have to pay?" Sora asked as Shara passed him some water.

"That depends on the information as well as the seeker, I'm afraid. Sometimes the Pool only takes something of material value, but sometimes it takes something more intrinsic. I have seen both, and it is not always clear why it takes what it does. It may even be that you are not aware of what has been taken until much later." She stared off, seemingly remembering something private. When she looked back, her eyes were still distant.

"I must warn you, though, Sora; the price is often heavy."

"I can handle it. I've got to," Sora declared. Just then, the leaves behind him rustled and Sora turned, startled.

"Miss Faye, Miss Faye!" yelled the small girl who ran towards them, flinging herself proudly at Faye's feet.

"I got what you wanted! It took forever, but I got it, no thanks to Marie."

Sora gawked as the girl pulled some dried herbs and assorted odds and ends from a hole in her stomach. He then realized that her whole body had been stitched together, Frankenstein-like, and her skin was a mishmash of red and black, with matching, spiky hair and large green eyes. A smaller girl, looking not more than eight years old, followed behind her, long blonde hair covering dark brown eyes yet failing to completely hide the fact that half of her body was burnt. The blonde girl walked up and sat with Shara, humming and smiling.

"Thank you, Mortis," Faye said, and seeing Sora staring again, explained irritably. "This is Mortis and Marie. As a necromancer, I have certain powers. I created Mortis from cardinal and raven parts, and accordingly she may transform into a bird at will. Marie is what some would call a zombie; that is, I brought her back to life to help me and I can summon her at will. Does that help you?"

Sora nodded.

"Ooh, shiny!" Mortis said, reaching for Sora's chain and charms, but Faye gave her a withering look, stopping her in her tracks.

"I wasn't going to steal it, honestly! He's cool, I can tell." She ran over to him and climbed up his back, flopping down to sit around his shoulders with her chin resting on Sora's head. "Yep, he's really cool."

Shara laughed as she stroked Marie's blonde hair.

"It seems Morty likes you, Sora! Well, shall we go? The Mirror Pool is only a short way from here."

They rose, Morty riding on Sora's shoulders, Marie humming and holding Shara's hand. Soon, a small pond came into view, reeds growing along its muddy banks and the sun shining gently on its smooth surface.

"Welcome to the Mirror Pool," Shara whispered almost reverently. "Go ahead, you only have to look into its depths and it will show you what you truly want to know."

She nodded encouragingly, smiling, and Faye nodded as well, motioning him towards the pond as she took a seat on a log.

"But Shara," Lucien wailed from her head, "remember what happened when you looked in the Pool? How can you make Sora do that? You don't know what it could d–" The hair clip was cut short as Faye tore him from her head.

"Be quiet," Faye scolded.

"But Lovey, I'm just saying that–"

Faye scowled, pulling out her silver mask and stuffing Lucien into it, effectively silencing him. She stuffed him back in her pocket.

"I apologize. Please continue."

Sora hesitated, wondering what had happened to Shara, but she merely smiled that same smile, and he forged ahead. At the water's edge, he knelt carefully, looking deeply into his reflection, seeing only his own bright blue eyes. Then suddenly and without warning, the face swirled in a stormy vortex, and images flashed before his mind faster than he could process. Somehow, though, he could still clearly understand the message the Mirror Pool was conveying to him and a single tear trickled down his face as it all sunk in. He found that he had been clutching the ground so hard that he had created two large pits in the muddy bank. Six pairs of worried eyes and one mildly interested pair met Sora's as he rose and turned.

"I know where it is," he said softly. Donald and Goofy celebrated happily and Shara walked over to support him as he walked weakly over to sit. Morty jumped back on his shoulders.

"I knew he could do it, not like those other stupid people." She playfully messed with his hair, laughing and joking, but Sora stared at his hands. _What have I lost?_ he wondered. He could not find anything missing in his heart and it worried him. Shara's words floated back into his mind; _It may even be that you are not aware of what has been taken until much later._ He hoped it was not something he would need to defeat Sashiro.

Sora was brought back to reality as Faye unwrapped Lucien from her mask. His loud, angry shouts put a smile back on Sora's face.

"How rude! You stuffed me in your pocket without so much as a good-bye! I almost suffocated in there! I don't think I want to talk to you any more!"

Faye calmly clipped him back on her head, shaking the blonde lock from her eyes.

"I highly doubt that."

"Oh, yes! I don't think I will talk to you for the rest of the day, and there is nothing you can do to change my mind, Lovey. Absolutely nothing!"

He continued chattering away as Faye ignored him, turning to Shara.

"There is something I must do today, Shara. Will you please take these three back to the inn alone? I am sorry for the trouble."

Shara smiled once again as she always did.

"Sure, Faye, you know I will." She released Marie's hand as the girl skipped over to join Faye, and Morty hopped down from Sora's shoulders.

"I gotta go now, but I'll be back, 'kay?" She grinned toothily at him, waved once, then turned into a bird to fly behind the girl's retreating back.

"Be careful, Faye!" Shara called after her, then the group turned back down the path to head into town.

(Scene 8)

As the two parties went their separate ways, golden, lamp-like eyes watched them from a high branch above the Mirror Pool. The large black panther purred from his perch, his tail dropping down to trail in the water. He yawned richly, taking a short break before leaping down to the bank below. She would be pleased to learn of the Keyblade Master's vision in the Pool. It was just as she had said; they were playing right into her hands.

The panther padded through the woods after his target, stalking off after his prey. Within minutes, a dozen shadow creatures were at his side, tingling in anticipation of the catch. Rumor's whiskers twitched and he glanced at the creatures, sending them off and into position. And so they waited for the moment to strike, as they knew it soon would come...

(Scene 9)

Faye continued on through the woods, making her way towards her private errand, Mortis flying behind her and Marie cooing at her side.

"Don't worry, Marie. This will not take long."

Her mismatched eyes widened slightly and she stopped, looking around slowly and then narrowing them.

"What is it, Lovey?" asked Lucien, his own beady eyes whizzing around in their sockets confusedly. Faye didn't answer; she merely stared out into the forest for a while before continuing cautiously on. A dead white hand rose into the air, summoning Mortis to her.

"Mortis, keep a lookout as you fly. There is someone following us."

"I know! But every time I think I've found them, they disappear! It's really annoying me!" Morty turned and stuck her pink little tongue out at the trees behind her impudently then took off again into the air. Marie clutched Faye's hand tighter now, whining in fear, and Faye reached down to stroke her hair. They walked on like this for a few minutes, silent and tense in the morning sun that filtered through the canopy of oaks and cedars. Then, shattering the silence came a small shriek.

"Mortis!" Faye cried, turning in panic. The tiny bird came hurtling towards her, closely followed by an enormous shadow, streaking behind on great black wings.

"Miss Faye, run!"

And she did, scooping Marie up into her arms and sprinting through the woods, but what was once one pursuer had morphed into a dozen, led by a large black panther. The rag-tag trio flew through the forest, rapidly covering ground. Faye began to tire, and even running flat out would soon be too slow. The horde of creatures followed swiftly behind, never tiring, always gaining.

"Plan B, Mortis," she said, and pulled herself beneath a loamy ledge of rock and branches, hiding behind a curtain of moss. Marie, Faye and Morty huddled in the crevice, their lead gaining them only a moment's time before the shadow beasts crept up to their location, sniffing for signs of life. The three breathed as quietly as possible, shaking in the shadows in fear and fatigue. The panther's nose appeared through the moss and Faye held her breath, sighing silently when it disappeared again. A few minutes later, silence reigned again.

"It looks like we have lost them," Faye whispered, crawling out from the ledge.

"Really, now."

An equally pale face smiled before the girl, crimson lips pulled tight perniciously. A gasp escaped Faye's own lips, and she turned to run, but the panther hemmed her in. Marie squeaked in terror as she ran into a great shadowy hound.

"It was so nice of you to help me out, my dear," Sashiro oozed sarcastically. "And now to help me further-"

Black ropes of magic snaked out towards Faye, but she dodged, dropping to the ground and pulling out a small knife. Dodging more shots of dark magic, she quickly sliced her finger, smearing the almost black blood into the dirt, drawing it into a pattern before her. Sashiro shot even more magic now, forcing Faye to roll away before she could finish. The sorceress cackled, her ropes now within reach of the teen, but Marie shot in front of them, and the little girl was bound tightly in a flash.

"Marie!"

Faye crawled back to her blood-circle, pressing her hand to it, two grey flowers blooming from the scarlet-tinged ground, dropping their petals as two figures emerged from them. Green-tinged and covered in stitches like Marie, they too were once dead, the other summoned servants of Faye. A tall, beautiful woman and a lean young man now stood between her and Sashiro, ready to protect her however they could.

"Come now, missy, give me more credit!" Sashiro laughed. The two guardians were beset by her minions within seconds, and they fought bravely, but in minutes the woman was bound in ropes of magic just like Marie, leaving only the man and Morty, still in her bird-form. The beasts closed in on Faye and her protector, and Morty dove to help, but the man intercepted her.

"Go get help, Mortis," he demanded.

"But Ruid-!"

"Now!"

And he threw the little bird like a feathery baseball away from the fray, the creatures tackling him an instant later. He was restrained as well, and Sashiro strode to Faye's side.

"And so, my dear, you fought bravely, but there are still some things I need you to help me with," she remarked. Her white hand dug around in Faye's pockets, withdrawing the silver mask and toying with it in her spidery fingers. She snapped, and the creatures began to drag off the three guardian summons. Her own face bent down to whisper in Faye's ear.

"We are alike, you and I. The darkness is our friend, we bend it to our will. But, my dear, in my darkness, there is no escape; no one will hear your cries of pain."

She snickered softly to herself, reaching down and tying the mask around Faye's mouth, smiling as she struck out with a blast of strong magic, Faye screaming silently in pain behind the silver.

(Scene 10)

"A graveyard? Are you sure?"

Shara, Sora, Donald and Goofy walked through the town, reaching the inn around noon. Her feline eyes watched Sora's face for an answer.

"Yeah, I'm sure. That's definitely where the memory shard is."

"Well then, we had better rest up before we head there. The Shizukan Burial Grounds are quite a walk away and if there is going to be as much of a fight as you say the other shards gave you, you three are going to need all the strength you can get."

The companions ate a hurried lunch, Sora eager to get back on the move. Shara insisted that he rest for a while, forbidding him to leave the inn until she felt he had sufficiently recovered from the physical and emotional drain of the Mirror Pool. Donald and Goofy took advantage of the break to sleep some, but Sora remained restless and fidgety, finally rising to swing the Keyblade through the air. The light outside began to fade along with Sora's patience. Donald and Goofy joined him in the sitting room, all three bright with the light of adventure. As they readied themselves to leave, a disturbance in the entrance hall caught their attention.

"Miss Shara, Miss Shara!"

Morty came rushing at them, crashing into Shara's knees and hugging them tightly. Warm tears fell in torrents from her green eyes and her voice wavered as she spoke.

"Oh, Miss Shara, they took Miss Faye!"

"What! Who took Faye?" Shara's face contorted with worry, and she dropped down to cradle the crying bird-girl in her arms.

"Some lady in red! Oh, Miss Shara, she got Marie, and Kikyou and Ruid, too!" The girl wept inconsolably into Shara's arms, shaking with racking sobs.

"Who are Ruid and Kikyou?" Sora asked.

"Faye's other guardians," Shara said, fear bright in her cat-like eyes. She rose, holding Morty close and carrying her to Soria, who had run in at the sound.

"We've got to help Faye, Sora. Please! If that woman is a dangerous as you say..." she trailed off, no one needing her to finish the sentence. Soria took the girl from Shara's arms, her tail twitching nervously.

"Morty, where did Sashiro capture her?" Sora asked, but he received no answer; the girl was still crying too hard.

"I can find her, Sora," Shara said.

"No; it's bad enough that she's in trouble because of me, I don't want you hurt as well."

"I'm going!" she declared. "Faye is my closest friend, she's like family to me! I can't risk losing her!"

Sora looked into Shara's determined face and saw that he couldn't sway her now.

"Alright, but I'm warning you-"

"I'll be careful, I promise."

The four turned to leave, the light of battle in their eyes, and Soria cried out.

"Shara, wait!"

Shara turned, a single tear in her eye, and she rushed back to Soria, embracing her tightly.

"We'll get her back, Soria. Please, stay here and take care of everyone else."

Soria nodded, tears in her own eyes as she clutched at Morty's tiny body. Shara's voice rose up through the room, and a small golden light appeared between her hands, glowing brightly as they ran into the town and out into the forest. Flying through the darkness, Sora rushed ahead of the group, Keyblade held before him and ready for battle. Shara was right behind, her eyes misty silver, her song holding a sharp edge.

Emerging into a clearing, they heard a noise, indistinct and low.

"Sora, wait!" Shara called. She bent down to the dirt, kneeling to see what the cause was. Her pale hand picked up what looked like a hair clip.

"Lucien! How did you get here?" Sora exclaimed from her elbow, recognizing the skull she was currently brushing earth from.

"Ptth, ptth, Faye–ptth– was taken–ptth, ptth– by some witch! Ptth– there was a– struggle, and– ptth– I fell out!" He said, spitting dirt out of his mouth and his blue eyes whizzing around violently. "We have to get my lovey back!"

Shara's eyes, still misted over in silver, turned down in sadness. She did not speak, as she was still singing her magic, but carefully tucked Lucien into her pocket. When she turned to Sora, her face said everything for her.

"Let's go," Sora said darkly. They headed out, unsure of where Sashiro had taken Faye yet ready to search all night. The group ran on through the woods, frantic as time ticked away and still they found no signs of their friend. Sora dropped to the ground to catch his breath, the others panting behind him.

"This isn't working!" he yelled through gritted teeth, slamming a fist into the forest floor. "She could be anywhere and we're just running around like idiots!"

Shara's eyes dropped down in sadness again and Sora immediately regretted his outburst. He stood up to continue the search once more, anger coursing through his veins, when he caught a silver flash. He dashed forward, thinking it was Faye's mask.

"Over here!"

The four rushed to the spot, but all that was visible was more trees. Sora stood for a moment in confusion, then looked up to see a faint figure further on.

"You," he whispered, recognizing the same silver-haired woman that had helped him at the lake. "You know where Faye is?"

The young woman nodded, turning to run off, waving at him to follow. Sora tore after her, Donald, Goofy and Shara a few steps behind him, somewhat confused as to who he was talking to.

"Sora, we're heading to the graveyard!" Shara sang through her magic. Sora couldn't help but think it was strange that the memory shard and Sashiro would be in the same place. She was up to something, he could feel it.

(Scene 11)

Sashiro waited for the Keyblade Master, knowing he would come for her captive. She smiled wickedly as she sat on a mausoleum, white feet tapping against the equally white marble, scarlet lips twisted in a devilish smile as she hummed a chilling tune. The large black panther had draped himself atop a large tombstone, tail twitching idly as it hung before the lovingly carved name and golden eyes dutifully watching the prisoner tied at the foot of a stone angel. The Crimson Sorceress stopped her musing and stared as well at the succubus girl.

"Come now, don't look so glum," she crowed, and Faye said nothing, her mouth still covered by the silver mask of silence, her head hanging down in pain and fatigue. A golden light appeared on the horizon of the graveyard. Sashiro's grin grew wider and more wicked.

"It appears my plan has worked," she said silkily, "the Keyblade Master and your friend the firefly are headed straight towards us!"

In a matter of minutes, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Shara came into view, their figures easily visible in the bright moonlight.

"Sashiro! Let her go!" Sora yelled from a few yards off, the Ultima Keyblade glittering in Shara's magical light, her own song growing stronger and gaining an even deadlier tone. He brought the Keyblade around into an intimidating stance, Donald and Goofy doing the same, Shara's light glowing brighter and flickering menacingly.

"Come and get her, if you wish, Keyblade Master," Sashiro answered in mock sweetness, bowing her head sarcastically and spreading her white arms wide. "But until that time, she is mine!"

She struck out into Faye's body once more with her dark magic, and Faye's body twitched and writhed against the bonds that held her to the statuary. Her screams of pain were hidden in the silver mask, and her mismatched eyes glinted dully back at her friend.

"FAYE!" Shara screamed, dropping her song in panic and terror.

"Sashiro, stop it!" Sora pointed straight at the sorceress with the razor-sharp edge of the Keyblade. "This fight is between me and you, not her!"

"Ha! Between you and me, is it? This girl aided you, helped you on your journey, became your friend! In my book, that makes her fair game!"

Sashiro cackled loudly, throwing an even stronger bolt of darkness into the girl, and Faye's dead-white body shuddered violently, then fell ominously still.

"No. NO!" Shara yelled, rushing forward, Sora doing the same, the fires of anger and rage burning behind his azure eyes.

_Yes, get mad, let your rage flow through you, Keyblade Master! _Sashiro thought. _It will destroy your heart all the sooner!_

Shara's voice rose up once more through the darkness, and a golden missile of light went streaking towards the unsuspecting Crimson Sorceress, grazing her right arm.

"Ah!" she yelped in pain. Sashiro had not expected Shara to be so bold as to attack.

"Why you impudent little–!"

She shot her own retaliatory burst of dark magic at the redhead, but Goofy jumped in the way and blocked it with his sturdy shield. Grumbling and watching as Sora closed the distance, weapon flashing and getting dangerously near, she began to chant softly under her breath. The words were arcane and ancient, a dark glow starting to rise from the ground. Sora slowed only slightly at this, determined to reach the sorceress and free her captive.

Shara ran forward as well, throwing missiles of light at Sashiro as fast as she could, her eyes glowing bright, misted silver and narrowing in anger. She flung her arm in front of her, shooting out another golden blast, but just as it reached the tombstone before her target, it rebounded back, reflected by a barrier of dark magic.

"What the–!" Sora shouted, running up against it seconds later, flying backwards and landing on his butt. "Sashiro!"

Shara came to Sora's side, banging her fists against the barrier, shouting and crying in dismay.

"No! Let her go, please!"

She continued to fling herself at the dark magic, bouncing off time and again, each time getting more and more frantic, more and more panicked.

"Faye! FAYE!" Shara screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The four tried all they could to break through Sashiro's dark shield, Shara and Donald casting spells, Sora and Goofy bashing at it with their weapons. Soon they were panting with exhaustion, the Crimson Sorceress still safe and unharmed only a few tantalizing feet before them.

_Ha! They're making this too easy! But you have yet to show me your true anger, Keyblade Master. I **will** break you into a rage and watch you flounder in your flooded heart!_

Sashiro smiled cruelly and turned back to Faye.

"Don't think I'm done with you, my dear," she said. With a smirk and a wink at Sora and Shara, she let loose with the strongest blast she could muster, drawing out the attack as they watched, prolonging the pain of the poor girl. Something snapped inside Sora as he stared helplessly at this display, his blue eyes turning icy and his face contorting into a mask of fury. The Keyblade rose like a guillotine in front of him, and Sashiro inwardly celebrated. She had broken him! She would watch him drown in emotion!

Sora swung with all his might, the Keyblade striking against the black wall and stars exploded outward, showering down onto the ground. He struck again and again, as hard as he could, and Sashiro watched as a small scratch became etched into the barricade's surface.

_Nothing should be able to damage my barrier, nothing! _she screamed in her mind, but she smiled again soon enough. _No matter, it will still take an eternity to break through that way!_

"Let her go, _now._"

The white woman turned around, her spell finally wearing off, looking surprised. She had expected the Keyblade Master to speak, but it had been-

"Shara, stay out of this! I'll kill her!"

But Shara's look of hatred far surpassed that of Sora's, and something was alight in her eyes that had not been present before. Her song was so low, it echoed deep within Sora's body; it carried such an edge he almost thought his ears would bleed. Her golden light grew around her, gathering together in her hands. More and more, Shara's light grew, becoming brighter than the full moon until she held what resembled a small supernova before her trembling body.

"Shara, don't! It won't work!" Sora yelled, but she was deaf to everyone, glaring with rage at Sashiro. Her hands thrust forward with all of her might, sending the miniature star blasting into the barrier.

"You_ will_ let her go!"

The light and dark exploded together, lighting up the entire graveyard in a glaring flash, Sora and the others shielding their eyes instinctively. When they looked back, the barrier still held strong, Sashiro laughing with malice behind it. Shara stared in disbelief, her knees on the verge of collapse, but she pulled herself together and tried to run at the barrier one more time.

"Stop it! You're going to kill yourself!" Sora cried, catching Shara in his arms and holding her back. She struggled against him, but he had grown stronger since Destiny Islands, and the small young woman could not escape him.

"Let me go!" she pleaded. "She's my best friend! I can't lose her, she's the closest thing I have to family anymore!"

"You're going to kill yourself!"

"I don't care! I can't stand by and watch my best friend be taken by the darkness, I just can't! You could never understand, Sora!"

Sora spun Shara around at this and stared her straight in the eyes. He held her like this for a few silent moments, his face stony and set.

"I understand better than you think," he stated calmly, thoughts of Riku flashing through his mind. "Just listen to me. It's not what not she'd want."

The anger left Shara's eyes, and they returned once more to a sad, dull amber. She collapsed to the ground at Sora's feet, tears falling fast and thick.

"Yes, cry! Cry and give up, it is all you can do! You should follow her example, Keyblade Master!" Sashiro gloated. She took a seat on a tombstone, content that no one could break through, that Sora would be consumed by his anger as Shara had been. She began laughing, growing louder and louder, now ignoring the four in her assumed victory. For this, she missed the tingle of sparking magic behind her.

"Shara?" Sora asked. He watched as more tears fell to the ground from the redhead's eyes, noticing that they seemed to shine with the same light as her magic had. "Shara, what's going on?"

"Sora, get out of the way."

"What!"

Sora knelt down beside Shara, and she looked up into his face. He gasped as he saw some unnameable power within her, the rising magic almost tangible. Even Sashiro had noticed by now, her cackling ceased, her brow furrowed in annoyance.

"What now, you stupid song mage?"

Shara stood up slowly, her head hanging on her chest as though she was summoning something from deep within her heart. The jeweled pendant around her neck was alight now, the inner yin-yang blazing brighter than the others.

"You shall pay now, Crimson Sorceress," Shara stated, her voice unusually low and serious.

"Go ahead and try, all of you, I dare you!" Sashiro shrieked, losing her temper as she had hoped Sora would. Shara began to chant in a strange, ancient language.

"_Inei ashita dumastei yatuwei elementia Lumen ya Umbrel!"_

A whirlwind rose up around the redhead, spreading out and splitting into two tornadoes, one of light, one of dark. They swirled behind Shara, growing and growing. A pair of large, leathery wings stretched out from each, the storms beginning to solidify, forming themselves into two giant dragons. The left was a bright golden color, radiating an almost holy light; the right, a deep ebony black, so deep it seemed to suck in its partner's light and the surrounding light as well.

"Behold Lumen and Umbrel, the Elementia dragons of Light and Dark!"

The two dragons roared out a challenge to Sashiro, she staring in terrified awe at the creatures, Sora, Donald and Goofy doing the same.

"I can call the Elementia dragons only when I am at the end of my wits, so their summoning is really thanks to you. Just be thankful I didn't call the dragons of the other elements!"

The Crimson Sorceress shuddered in fear at these words, backing up slowly, leaving her unconscious captive tied to the statue.

"It doesn't matter," she cried defiantly. "You still have to get through my barrier!"

Her retreat halted as she regained her courage.

Shara called out to the dragons in the strange tongue.

"_Lumen, Umbrel, brii'to!" -_Lumen, Umbrel, attack!-

Both dragons swung their heads to look directly at the sorceress, opening their gaping maws and displaying razor teeth. Streams of blazing light and hazy darkness burst out of their mouths and streaked at the wall, blasting into it with legendary force. The barrier shuddered, rocking with the impact and shaking violently. As the initial glare died down, Sora gawked to see that the small scratch he had made had become a large crack.

"_Brii'to kha!" _-Attack again!-

The dragons attacked once more, shooting beams of magic toward Sashiro with deadly grace and accuracy. The burst of darkness slammed into the wall, substantially weakening it and draining its power, the light then breaking upon it like tsunami waves. The crack widened, more spreading outward in a spider-web of fine lines.

"_Brii'to kha!"_

Time after time, the two dragons heeded Shara's words, throwing all of their magical might behind their blasts, each time creating more cracks, getting ever close to breaking through. And then, Shara spoke a single word more, and Lumen and Umbrel reared up onto their hind legs, readying themselves for what Sora believed would be the final, finishing blow. The creatures looked as determined as Shara, and they seemed to be gathering all their remaining strength into one last attack. Two giant streams burst from their mouths, ripping towards the black magic barricade.

For what seemed like an eternity, the dragons held their attack, then, with a great cracking sound, the barrier shattered into thousands of dark magic shards.

"No!" Sashiro screamed. She raised her hands and shot black missiles of her own magic at Shara and the dragons. The light around Shara raised into a shield and repelled them, and Shara began to walk purposefully towards the sorceress. A large streak of light rocketed from the girl's hand and slammed into Sashiro, bowling her over.

"Ah!" she yelled in pain. "Stay away, I warn you!"

But Shara merely threw another ball of light at her, knocking her back into the ground again. Time and again, Shara launched her magic in the Crimson Sorceress. She turned her magic to form a glowing saber, slashing with maddened grace into the scarlet robes and pale skin of her friend's torturer. Red gashes blossomed on every part of Shashiro's body, her clothes tore in myriad places. Soon, the woman was tattered and beaten, Shara's light-sword pointing with its tip in Sashiro's throat.

"But my plan was perfect!" she gasped, staring up into the amber eyes now so full of that strange light.

"Nothing is perfect," Shara said simply. She glared down at the woman, but did not strike the final blow. "Leave."

Sashiro rose, bruised and bloody, weak and injured, her panther leaping to her side like a shadow and the two of them disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

"_This is not the end, Keyblade Master!"_

Sora ran up to Shara, eyes still wide at her display. She turned softly to face him.

"Forgive me, I lost control of myself."

"What! You just blasted the living daylights out of Sashiro!"

Shara merely smiled sadly and wearily, collapsing into Sora's arms as the rest of her strength left her. He threw an arm around her shoulders and they walked that way over to the stone angel, Faye still unconscious at its feet. Shara knelt and gently cradled the young woman, softly singing a song, a small light flickering into life, her magic healing Faye now instead of Sora. Mismatched eyes fluttered slowly open again, gazing blearily into amber ones as Shara untied the silver mask.

"Sh–shara?" Faye mumbled, falling to hug the redhead tightly. The two cried into each other's arms, Lucien shouting in delight from Shara's pocket. Sora smiled at Donald and Goofy, stepping away to give them some personal time.

"Sora, look," Donald whispered, pointing at the pendant around his neck. It was glowing crazily and tugging like mad on its chain.

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten!"

Sora followed its pull in a hurry, seeing a glow behind a tombstone to his left. There, glittering in the night like a tiny falling star was a large memory shard. His gloved hand reached out and grasped the shining crystal. He winced slightly as it sunk into his flesh then gasped aloud.

"Sora! You alright?" Goofy asked in alarm.

"Kairi."

"Huh?" both wondered.

"Kairi. Her name's Kairi!" Sora's face burst into a wide grin and he stood and pulled the two into a bear hug. "Her name's Kairi! Kairi! KAIRI!"

(Scene 12)

The fire flickered slowly, spreading a warm glow around the room. All were happy, Faye brought safely home by Sora, Shara and the others, her guardians rescued as well. After a large amount of hugging and crying on behalf of the girls and a few excited crashes on behalf of Soria, everyone settled down in the sitting room.

Talking, laughing, recounting of the battle, everything ensued in the happy reunion. Great food was shared, now only crumbs on the forgotten plates, and Sora felt truly happy since his first encounter with Sashiro. The night was now fading into another grey dawn, the group still gathered in the sitting room. Faye had pulled out a violin and was playing a sweet, calm song, Shara singing softly along.

_Come dreaming with me, sweet child of mine_

_To a place 'tween tonight and tomorrow_

_Where the world is much softer and calmer and slow_

_And the crickets sing along with the swallow_

_Together we'll gather the stars from the night_

_And bundle them up with a string_

_Or soar through a sky of sapphire blue_

_On our own glist'ning butterfly wings_

_We'll slide down the rainbows and chase rays of sun_

_Then talk with the swift summer breeze_

_And sit down to tea with the man in the moon_

_Up high past the tops of the trees_

_So close now your eyes of emerald green_

_And your lips of light cherubim pink_

_On your pillow of clouds and your bed made of roses_

_With a smile, a nod and a wink_

_Come dreaming with me, sweet child of mine_

_As I sing you to sleep with my song_

_I'll rock back and forth and cradle you close_

_And stay by your side all night long_

Shara finished and gazed over at Sora, smiling at the sight of him. He was sitting in a chair by the fire, Marie in his lap, Morty on his shoulders, all three fast asleep.

"I think Sora's made some new friends," she remarked to Faye, who nodded slightly. All shuffled off to bed, Shara tucking a blanket around the sleeping boy's form and gently pulling Marie off his lap, Faye relieving him of Morty.

Sora, Donald and Goofy spent most of the next morning relaxing in the Rusoto Kiryo Inn, enjoying a brief respite before heading out. Sora stood on the balcony, gazing out at the beautiful landscape and sighing.

"Something still troubles you," Shara said, coming up behind him and leaning as well on the balcony.

"Yeah."

Sora said nothing more, but Shara already knew, watching him finger the white-pink pendant.

"You miss her so much, don't you, this Kairi?"

Sora gasped, then nodded.

"The memories I'm looking for, they're of her."

"You left her behind to protect her, moved farther away for her safety."

"How'd you know!" Sora sputtered, thinking Shara had read his mind, but she only smiled that mysterious smile again and pulled out the jeweled pendant from around her own neck.

"Because I do the same. So long as this pendant is safe, my friends are as well. I fled from my home to protect them all, never to see them again."

"I'm...I'm sorry..."Sora mumbled apologetically.

"Keep her in your heart, Sora, and that will give you strength. Something tells me that, unlike me, you will meet your friends again."

Sora's blue eyes widened to stare at these words, but Shara only reached out and ruffled his brown-blonde hair.

"Be careful, Sora."

"You too, Shara."

(Scene 13)

Everyone from the Rusoto Kiryo Inn walked the trio to the gummi to say good-bye. Morty jumped one more time onto Sora's shoulders, hugging his head tightly.

"You come back and visit us again, 'kay?"

"I promise," Sora laughed.

"Sora, wait. Faye and I have something for you."

The redhead and the succubus girl walked to the tousle-haired boy.

"We want to thank you for rescuing me," Faye said, bowing her head graciously.

Sora watched curiously as she sliced her finger, red-black blood flowing down her hand. He started as Shara sang a sweet song at his side, and she smirked as she reached out a glowing hand to touch Faye's bloody one, golden magic flaring against the blackness. Dark swirled with light, the blood disappearing as the golden glow solidified. The two hands flashed brightly, and when Sora could see again, there was only a small charm.

"For you, the Llenari keychain," Shara said, placing the charm in Sora's palm.

Sora gazed at it in wonder, the charm glittering in the noontime sun. It was in the shape of a yin-yang, but instead of the usual opposing spots of black and white, there was a slash within the middle, the black a deep onyx, the white a sparkling opal.

"It...it looks just like the middle of your necklace!"

"Yes, that is what I modeled it after. In the language of the dragons, _llenari_ means harmony. That charm is made of the dark magic in Faye's blood and the light magic of my own power. The dark half will protect you from the shadow creatures, the light will of course help you defeat them."

"Thank you, thank you both!" Sora exclaimed, immediately clipping the Llenari onto the Keyblade. It flashed once, and all were amazed at its transformation. Around a glittering blade, a thread of onyx and one opaline thread, matching those on the charm, twined down the length, the black curving out the top in a scythe-like shape, the white splintering into four sparkling teeth. The two threads snaked together at the bottom to form a dragon, reaching around the leather bound grip to form the hand catch.

"It's ...it's wonderful!" Sora breathed, turning it in the sun.

"It gives you a new power as well, Sora, one of my own."

Shara whispered a word in his ear, the trigger for the new spell.

"Flare!"

A blast of the same golden light Shara had wielded shot from the Keyblade and impacted in a great blaze on the nearest tree, incinerating it instantly.

"Coooo-ooooool!"

Shara smiled, both she and Faye bowing once more. The three climbed into the gummi ship, sticking their faces out the windows as it rumbled upwards into the blue sky.

"Bye! Don't forget us!"

"Sure was nice meetin' ya'll!"

"Sorry about the pink thing!"

Everyone on the ground waved fiercely, shouting their own farewells, and the ship fired its engines and blasted off into the unknown.

* * *

And now for a special surprise, a short story about Naminé. If you haven't played KH: Chain of Memories yet, stop reading now and go play it. It's good and has a great story. That, and you'll be lost beyond all belief.

_She watched the figures in the stone blooms before her, pale blue eyes tracing the sleeping forms nearly obscured by the petals. Namin_é _rose a hand to the white marble around the tousle-haired boy. He had found the light within his heart, the links of his memories slowly falling back into place. **I hope you find your light in real life, Sora, **she thought, her own heart containing no light, only a glimmer of hope. All who knew her soon forgot her; that's how it always was. Somehow, though, she knew Sora would keep his promise._

_A loud noise made Naminé_'s _hand recoil, a black shoe retreating from the marble bloom to a black trenchcoat at the_ _edge of her vision. Supposedly, only those who knew of these flowers' contents could see them, and Naminé breathed a silent sigh of relief to see this was indeed true. Silver hair and a sneering face now accompanied the trenchcoat in her field of sight._

"_Still spending time with your friends the statues?" Zexion crowed, a tone of superiority dripping from every word. His grey eyes stopped on her, lingering for a moment before turning cold._

"_I've been charged with retrieving you from this wreck of a castle. What the Organization wants with Marluxia's old toy is beyond me..."_

_A flush rose to Naminé's cheeks and she burst out in uncharacteristic rage, flying at the man in anger with fists raised._

"_Marluxia's old toy! How dare you–!"_

_Zexion grabbed one swinging arm, pulling her into his grasp._

"_I thank you. We can now leave and I didn't even have to move."_

_A cruel smirk crossed his face as Naminé scowled. As he gripped her tighter in preparation to leave, her pale blue eyes moved back to gaze at Sora. He and his friends were still encased in their marble blooms, dreamlessly sleeping as their memories chained back together. They were all almost done, almost back to normal. She held in her heart the hope that they would be fine without her; Naminé had faith the three could find their way out of Castle Oblivion now that the Organization had abandoned it._

_**I'm so sorry, Sora,** she whispered in her mind.** You fought so hard to free me from the darkness and I have slipped back to it so easily. **Naminé remembered his cheerful smile, so bright and sunny, and a small smile graced her own lips before she disappeared along with Zexion._

It all seemed so long ago, so very far away in the distant corridors of her mind. Naminé pulled absent-mindedly at her flaxen hair, the strands permanently laying over her right shoulder, pulled there and twisted, just as they were now, in so many times of happiness, sadness, confusion, boredom or nervousness. Her pale blue eyes searched from her wrought-iron table, interrupted by the smiling waiter's arrival with her soda.

Naminé smiled sweetly back, both face and clothing falsely innocent. As he left, she resumed her search from the quaint café, seeming only a kind little girl out for a bit of sun. Her eyes hooded over darkly, as her mind turned once more inside.

_Is nothing sacred to you, Naminé?_ she chided herself. _Do you not respect the sanctity of the mind?_

Her head shook as if trying to dislodge these thoughts from her mind. It was useless, she knew, for she could not escape from her captors.

Run away? They would find her. Fight back? They would fight back as well, often physically, to the point of near-death. Naminé had once tried, in an effort of desperation, to remove links from her own mind, erase the memory of her power. What bliss it had been, ignorant of her destructive potential! What freedom! But the Organization had found out, and they dove deep into her heart as only they could, retrieving the vital link and forcing it back into her chain of memories. No, even that had failed. There was no escape for one such as her.

Wrenching her mind somewhat guiltily back to reality, Naminé resumed her search of the street. Slowly, she sipped her soda, secretly savoring the sensation of innocence and freedom it brought to her lips, the feeling shattered as her target came into sight. A small sigh escaped her as she steeled herself for the task at hand.

_It's him or you, Naminé, him, or you._

With an ease that made her shudder, Naminé reached out to the man's mind and heart, intangible chains appearing in her hands. She removed a link here, added one there, twisted a few and rearranged others. Her hands held the chains a few moments after she had finished, warming the links as a token of remorse. And then Naminé released the chains, letting them fade back into the man's heart.

He stopped, by chance, immediately beside her porch-front table. Blinking, he stared around, disoriented as the new memories made themselves known.

"Are you alright, sir?" she asked, her face the picture of worry and concern.

"Yes. I mean, I think so..."

He trailed off, his mind puzzling things out, and the man strode off, a dazed look on his face.

Naminé sighed openly. _Just one more mind I've corrupted. _She was too far gone to be pure and innocent now, no matter how hard she wanted to be. Yet in her heart, she knew she was not evil, was unlike the monsters she worked for. Naminé was a creature of twilight, of dusk, slowly edging towards the darkness of night whether or not she went willingly. A tear came to her eye at this realization, but she held it back as an oily voice whispered in her ear.

"Come, the deed is done. Back to your cage, girl."

Zexion's dark form appeared in the shadows behind Naminé as she dropped a few coins nest to her half-finished soda. His pale hands drew her to him and began to pull her back to the prison once more.

_I'm so sorry, _her heart whispered to no one, its apology lost to the darkness around her.


End file.
